Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41732311›Full record

ReviewAmerican heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice2026

The gut-heart axis: Exploring the role of the gut microbiome in cardiovascular health - A focused systematic review.

Yahya Makkieh, Haider Hussain Shah, Sakan Binte Imran, Shadman Mahmood Khan Pathan, Anagha Chirayath Saju, Mounica Majooju, Aastha Garg, Tarun Naag, Rabeeul Islam, Cheeranthodika Fahima and 1 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Yahya MakkiehFaculty of Medicine, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Haider Hussain ShahBayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus, Dover, DE, USA.
Sakan Binte ImranSir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Shadman Mahmood Khan PathanOld Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
Anagha Chirayath SajuMedical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria.
Mounica MajoojuPrathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Telangana, India.
Aastha GargNC Medical College and Hospital, India.
Tarun NaagVydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, Karnataka, India.
Rabeeul IslamGovernment Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, KUHS, India.
Cheeranthodika FahimaSouth West Medical University, India.
Ramsha AliPeoples University of Medical Sciences, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This focused systematic review examines the role of the gut microbiota in cardiovascular disease (CVD). The review explores mechanisms linking gut dysbiosis with CVD via microbial metabolites such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which affect inflammation, endothelial function, and lipid metabolism. Interventions including dietary modifications, probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and pharmacological agents such as statins, rifaximin, and empagliflozin are evaluated for their impact on microbial composition and cardiovascular outcomes. Probiotic strains and fiber-rich diets demonstrated modest improvements in blood pressure, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers. Studies revealed that gut microbiome alterations influence drug metabolism and bleeding risk in patients taking oral anticoagulants. Limited evidence suggests that modulation of the microbiota may reduce chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. However, only nine eligible studies met the inclusion criteria, reflecting the early and heterogeneous nature of this research area. Consequently, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating. The focused review emphasizes the need for large-scale trials to validate microbiome-targeted strategies in CVD prevention and management. This focused systematic review is registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251022190).

Indexed as

Cardiovascular diseaseGut microbiomeInflammationMicrobiome-targeted therapyTMAO

Identifiers

PMID41732311
PMCPMC12925741

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.