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Beyond gut feelings: how the gut microbiota regulates blood pressure

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 15, pages 20–32 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Key Points

  • High dietary intake of fruit, vegetables, and fibre is associated with lower blood pressure levels

  • Short-chain fatty acids, such as acetate and propionate, released by the fermentation of fibre by the gut microbiota are linked to lower blood-pressure levels in experimental models of hypertension

  • A growing body of literature supports a role for the gut microbiota in the development and maintenance of high blood-pressure levels

  • Limited evidence suggests that the manipulation of the gut microbiota (such as through faecal transplants, or the use of antibiotics or probiotics) might be a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of hypertension

  • The composition of human gut microbiota in the setting of high blood-pressure levels should be assessed to determine the complex nature of essential hypertension, given that gut microbiota can interact with the the host's environment and genome

Abstract

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and is estimated to cause 9.4 million deaths globally every year. The pathogenesis of hypertension is complex, but lifestyle factors such as diet are important contributors to the disease. High dietary intake of fruit and vegetables is associated with reduced blood pressure and lower cardiovascular mortality. A critical relationship between dietary intake and the composition of the gut microbiota has been described in the literature, and a growing body of evidence supports the role of the gut microbiota in the regulation of blood pressure. In this Review, we describe the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota and its metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine N-oxide, and lipopolysaccharides, act on downstream cellular targets to prevent or contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension. These effects have a direct influence on tissues such as the kidney, the endothelium, and the heart. Finally, we consider the role of the gut microbiota in resistant hypertension, the possible intergenerational effect of the gut microbiota on blood pressure regulation, and the promising therapeutic potential of gut microbiota modification to improve health and prevent disease.

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Figure 1: Influence of diet on gut microbiota and blood pressure.
Figure 2: Mechanisms of the gut–autonomic nervous system–cardiorenal axis that regulate blood pressure.
Figure 3: Hypertension as a multifactorial disease.

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Acknowledgements

F.Z.M. is supported by a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship, and D.K. is supported by a National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Heart Failure Research Group, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, 3004, Victoria, Australia

    Francine Z. Marques & David M. Kaye

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia

    Francine Z. Marques

  3. Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Monash University, 23 Innovation Walk, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia

    Charles R. Mackay

  4. Heart Centre, Alfred Hospital, Philip Block, Level 3, 55 Commercial Road, Melbourne, 3004, Victoria, Australia

    David M. Kaye

  5. Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, 3004, Victoria, Australia

    David M. Kaye

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F.Z.M. and C.R.K. researched data for the article and wrote the article. All authors provided substantial contribution to discussion of the content, and reviewed and edited the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Francine Z. Marques.

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Marques, F., Mackay, C. & Kaye, D. Beyond gut feelings: how the gut microbiota regulates blood pressure. Nat Rev Cardiol 15, 20–32 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2017.120

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