51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Scientists have discovered that chemicals produced by gut bacteria could act as an early warning system for future heart disease, potentially allowing doctors to identify at-risk individuals years before symptoms appear.

“We’ve uncovered the hidden biological hotline connecting the gut microbiome, kidneys and heart which can flag cardiovascular risk years before disease strikes. Professor Marc-Emmanuel Dumas Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction

The findings, , suggest that the gut microbiome, the trillions of microorganisms living in the digestive system, may play a far more important role in cardiovascular health than previously thought.

Researchers, including from 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, working with the METACARDIS Consortium and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging analysed biological data from more than 8,000 adults to investigate how gut bacteria interact with the body’s metabolic and cardiovascular systems.

Cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, are increasing worldwide. However, scientists have struggled to understand the earliest biological changes that push people from metabolic health toward disease.

The new study focused on compounds produced when gut bacteria break down the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. These microbial metabolites circulate through the body and appear to influence how the kidneys and heart regulate key physiological functions.

Researchers developed a metabolomic ‘score’ based on these gut-derived molecules. They found that this score could predict future cardiovascular disease at least three years before clinical events such as heart attacks or strokes occurred.

Senior author, Professor Marc Dumas, said that the results reveal a gut-kidney-heart axis that appears to influence cardiovascular health long before symptoms emerge.

“We’ve uncovered the hidden biological hotline connecting the gut microbiome, kidneys and heart which can flag cardiovascular risk years before disease strikes. Gut microbes and their metabolites are like an early warning system and we’ve finally learned to listen. This is precision medicine in action and could transform cardiovascular disease prevention.”

The researchers also observed that the beneficial microbial signals were strongest in metabolically healthy individuals. As people became overweight or developed early metabolic dysfunction, these patterns weakened, suggesting a loss of protective microbiome features.

Using genetic analyses, the team found evidence of a two-way relationship: microbial metabolites may influence kidney function, while kidney function may also shape microbial metabolism.

First author, , Research Fellow in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, said one of the most surprising aspects of the study was that these signals were detected in people who appeared healthy.

“The most thrilling aspect of this work is that we find these microbiome-related signatures in a clinically healthy population. This suggests disturbances in our gut microbiome may initiate metabolic and heart disease. Detecting these signatures early means we could target gut microbes to prevent disease in at-risk individuals.”

The researchers say the findings could eventually lead to simple blood or urine tests that identify cardiovascular risk earlier than current clinical tools. Such early detection could be crucial as global rates of cardiometabolic disease continue to climb, with obesity and diabetes expected to affect hundreds of millions more people in the coming decades.

However, the scientists caution that further research is needed. The current findings were primarily based on people of European ancestry, and the team plans to confirm the results in more diverse populations. Future work will also test whether boosting protective microbial metabolites could reduce cardiovascular risk in clinical trials.

If confirmed, the discovery could open the door to microbiome-based treatments and prevention strategies, turning gut bacteria into a powerful ally in the fight against heart disease.

Chechi, K., Chakaroun, R., Myridakis, A. et al. A gut microbiome-kidney-heart axis predictive of future cardiovascular diseases. Nat Commun (2026).

The image used in this article was created using AI-assisted tools and is for illustrative purposes only.