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Published on: June 29, 2022
Does gut microbiota affect atrial rhythm? Causalities and speculations
Dominik Linz1,2,3,4, Monika Gawałko1,2,5,6, Prashanthan Sanders3
1Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University Medical Centre and Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
Dietary intake has been shown to change the composition of gut microbiota and some changes in microbiota (dysbiosis) have been linked to diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, which are established risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF). In addition, intestinal dysbiosis generates microbiota-derived bioactive metabolites that might exert proarrhythmic actions. Although emerging preclinical investigations and clinical observational cohort studies suggest a possible role of gut dysbiosis in AF promotion, the exact mechanisms through which dysbiosis contributes to AF remain unclear. This Viewpoint article briefly reviews evidence suggesting that abnormalities in the intestinal microbiota play an important and little-recognized role in the pathophysiology of AF and that an improved understanding of this role may open up new possibilities in the management of AF.
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