Heart failure linked to gut bacteria compound

Date: Oct-30-2014 Blood levels of TMAO - a digestion byproduct of gut bacteria - has

already been tied to heart disease and to prediction of heart attacks, stroke

and death. Now, for the first time, researchers show it is also linked to heart

failure and worse long-term prognosis for patients with the condition.

The new study suggests risk of death from heart failure is linked to levels of a digestion byproduct of gut bacteria.

The new finding comes from a study of over 700 people that found raised

blood levels of TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) were linked to increased risk of heart

failure.

The researchers, from the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH, report their

work in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart continues beating but

- due to weakened heart muscle - does not pump enough oxygen-rich blood to

nourish the other organs of the body.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), about half of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years

of diagnosis. There are currently 5 million Americans living with heart

failure, and the condition costs the economy around $32 billion a year.

TMAO predicted higher future rate of death from heart failure

Led by Dr. Stanley Hazen, chair of Cleveland's Department of Cellular and

Molecular Medicine, the team followed 720 heart failure patients for 5 years.

During that time, they found higher blood levels of TMAO predicted higher future

rate of death from heart failure, independent of traditional risk factors.

They were interested to find that when high levels of natriuretic peptides -

a group of compounds used as an indicator of advanced heart failure - were

present with low levels of TMAO, they were tied a lower rate of death than high

levels of both.

In particular, they found both high TMAO and high B-type natriuretic peptide

(BNP, a peptide typically measured in heart failure patients), were linked to

more than a 50% rate of death over 5 years.

There may be value in testing TMAO in high risk groups

In previous work, the team had found TMAO

is a byproduct of gut bacteria digestion of compounds present in red meat, egg

yolk, liver and some energy supplements. In a large study, they established

that high levels of TMAO can predict heart attack, stroke and death.

Dr. Hazen says their work shows testing for TMAO may not only help find out

who is at greatest risk for heart failure and may need monitoring more closely, but it may also

help decide exactly what diets high risk individuals should follow to reduce

their future risk.

Grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Office of Dietary

Supplements helped fund the study.

Recently, Medical News Today reported news of how another team is

developing a new implantable device that could

slow or reverse heart failure. The device - called the C-Pulse - is a cuff

that wraps around the aorta and helps to pump blood from the heart around the

body.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.