Probiotics supplementation and cardiometabolic risk factors: A new insight into recent advances, potential mechanisms, and clinical implications

Background: Subjects who have cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) share a variety of common characteristic including increased blood pressure (BP), disrupted glycemic control, and augmented levels of atherogenic lipids in the serum (i.e., total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or reduced serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The intestinal microbiota dysbiosis could play an essential role in the pathophysiology of chronic metabolic disorders mainly through inducing immune dysfunction, triggering inflammation, dysregulation in energy metabolism, and epithelial barrier dysfunction. Interestingly, these changes are believed to be fully resolved by restoring symbiosis mainly using probiotics. In the present review, we aimed to collect the recent evidence on the effects of probiotics on certain cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods: The literature searching was conducted through MEDLINE and ScienceDirect databases including articles published between January 2014 to October 2020. Thirty-four meta-analysis of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of probiotics on cardiometabolic markers are included. Results: Probiotics supplementation for at least 8 weeks might be promising in reducing BP, blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance, TC, LDL-C, and TG and elevating HDL-C levels. It seems, younger subjects (<50-60 years) and particularly those with higher baseline levels of cardiometabolic risk factors, including patients with hypertension, diabetes, or hypercholesterolemia, may benefit the most from these supplements. Conclusion: The present review further emphasizes the crucial effects of probiotics as a complementary therapeutic strategy in enhancement of cardiometabolic risk markers.

Automated summary

Probiotics show promising effects in reducing cardiometabolic risk factors such as blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels while increasing HDL-C. Younger individuals and those with higher baseline cardiometabolic risks may benefit the most from probiotics supplementation.