Understanding the Gut-Heart Connection in Heart Failure

How does the gut microbiome affect the heart? The depletion of bacteria that generate metabolites is known to be important for heart health.

Elevated levels of phenylacetylglutamine (PAG) – a byproduct created when microbes in the gut break down dietary protein – can be directly linked to both increased heart failure risk and severity, according to study findings published in Circulation: Heart Failure.

The study at Cleveland Clinic expands the link between what we eat and how the gut microbiome impacts our susceptibility to develop different diseases – in this case, how a specific gut microbe-generated by-product is linked to heart failure risk.

Congestive Heart Failure (Congestive Cardiac Failure) Current Management
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart fails to work adequately as a pump that can deliver oxygen rich blood to the body.

‘Understanding how the gut microbiome is linked to cardiac disease risks, suggests potential approaches such as diet modification and beta-blocker use.’

Elevated PAG levels also were shown to correspond with types of heart failure. For example, elevated blood PAG was observed in subjects with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a condition where the heart muscle doesn’t relax enough between beats and becomes too stiff, making it less able to fill and consequently pump blood.

Measuring blood PAG levels could provide striking value for predicting who’s at risk for heart failure. The data build a strong case that making this test available for clinicians would add to their arsenal of diagnostic tests for heart failure.

The Heart-Gut Axis: New Target for Heart Failure Therapy

The previously discovered link between PAG and cardiovascular diseases, including risk for heart attack, stroke, and death in a 2020 study. In that study, PAG was shown to affect the function of adrenergic receptors on platelets, impacting functions like blood clotting risks.

This new study dug deeper into other potential functions of PAG with a focus on heart failure. The team of investigators found that PAG levels were linked to heart failure risks through patient data from thousands of patients in two independent study cohorts.

Can Too Little Salt Affect Heart Failure Patients?
Is eating too little salt bad for heart failure patients? Yes, strict salt restriction can harm patients with a common form of heart failure.

One from Europe and another from the U.S. In other studies, introducing PAG into cardiac cells in the lab allowed researchers to better understand the mechanism behind PAG’s association with heart failure – and a foundation for countering its effects.

This study substantially expands the breadth of possible links between our diet and how our gut microbiome serves as a filter of our diet, impacting our susceptibility to developing different diseases.

Fatty Liver may Up Heart Failure Risk
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can increase the risk of heart failure over the next decade as a result of increasing levels of overweight and obesity.

In this case, gut microbes form a metabolite from the amino acid phenylalanine in dietary protein, adversely impacting the function of a beating cardiac muscle cell.

Smoking Damages Blood Vessels, Hampers Cardiac Function
Smoking negatively affects heart health that may lead to cardiovascular diseases or disorders, which deteriorates as people smoke more.

Source-Eurekalert