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The Potential of Probiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Atherosclerosis
Author(s) -
O'Morain Victoria L.,
Ramji Dipak P.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
molecular nutrition and food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.495
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1613-4133
pISSN - 1613-4125
DOI - 10.1002/mnfr.201900797
Subject(s) - medicine , dyslipidemia , disease , myocardial infarction , residual risk , atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease , clinical trial , nutraceutical , intensive care medicine , pathology
Atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, and peripheral vascular disease, is the leading cause of global mortality. Current therapies against atherosclerosis, which mostly target the dyslipidemia associated with the disease, have considerable residual risk for cardiovascular disease together with various side effects. In addition, the outcomes from clinical trials on many promising pharmaceutical agents against atherosclerosis (e.g., low‐dose methotrexate, inhibitors against cholesteryl ester transfer protein) have been disappointing. Nutraceuticals such as probiotic bacteria have, therefore, generated substantial recent interest for the prevention of atherosclerosis and potentially as add‐ons with current pharmaceutical drugs. This review will discuss the current understanding of the anti‐atherogenic actions of probiotics from preclinical and clinical studies together with their potential underlying mechanisms of action.