Probiotics and their effect on cardiovascular diseases

Article Summary: The Influence of the Human Microbiome and Probiotics on Cardiovascular Health
Introduction
One of the world’s leading causes of death is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Some of the risk factors that have been associated with CVD include, but they are not limited to, clinical depression, smoking, physical inactivity, blood pressure and high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. It is important to note that microorganisms, as the authors of the present article point out, constitute one of the numerous etiological factors in reference to CVD. In this article, the authors not only provide a concise assessment of how CVD and microbiome associate, but also evaluate probiotic therapy applications.
Discussion
Over time, the role and impact of microbial communities on the health of human beings has been intensely investigated. Some of the areas inhibited by microbial communities in the human body, as the authors of this article point out, include the oral cavity, urinary tract, vagina, skin, as well as the gut. In essence, how microbiome affects sites that are not close to the gut is an issue that continues to attract the attention of many researchers. This is more so the case in relation to how microbiome affects sites related to not only the mammary glands, but also the reproductive tract and the brain. The authors of this particular article are particularly interested in “the role of the microbiome and probiotic interventions in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease (CVD), a group of disorders of the heart and the blood vessels that supply the heart, brain, and extremities.”
The increasing magnitude of CVD prevalence continues to worry many in the health care community across the world. This is particularly the case given that in addition to the pain and suffering it causes patients and their families, CVD effectively overburdens the health care systems of many countries across the world. Towards this end, the relevance of identifying and implementing innovative approaches in reference to the prevention and management of CVD cannot be overstated. It is important to note that although the dysfunctions as well as the symptoms associated with CVD are diverse, the connection between cardiovascular health and microbes remains clear. In recent times, the authors observe that various approaches have been designed in an attempt to rein in infectious microbial pathogens. One of the said approaches involves the utilization of antibiotics. Towards this end, it should be noted that antibiotics continue to be effective in the control of a myriad gut infections including, but not limited to, Helicobacter pylori, Escherichia Coli, and Clostridum difficile. As it has been pointed out in the introductory section of this text, one of the prominent risk factors for CVD is obesity. According to the authors, the risks obesity presents for hyperliperdemia, chronic inflammation, as well as type 2 diabetes is immense as a consequence of the high intake of energy in this case and accumulation of fat. These conditions predispose to not only heart failure and cardiac arrest, but also coronary heart disease. Towards this end, the authors point out that in seeking to improve outcomes, the utilization of probiotics has been suggested as a way of adjusting the microbial maladaptation or imbalance.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, the authors are of the opinion that as far as heart failure is concerned (alongside related cardiovascular events), the relevance of probiotics cannot be overstated. It is important to note that given that probiotics are readily available in the nutraceutical as well as functional food arena today, they remain largely cost effective. Further, in comparison to the various CVD medications (including, but not limited to ACE-inhibitors and b-blockers), probiotics have relatively fewer side effects. In the opinion of the authors, the implementation of combination therapy offers the greatest potential as far as bringing down the cost of cardiovascular disease medications is concerned.
References
Ettinger, G., MacDonald, K., Reid, G., & Burton, J. P. (2014). The Influence of the Human Microbiome and Probiotics on Cardiovascular Health. Gut microbes, 5(6), 719-28.