We live in a world full of microorganisms, not only around us but also inside our own bodies. The gut microbiome consists of billions of bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and fungi living in our intestines. These microorganisms play a crucial role in our health: they help with food digestion and support our immune system. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that disruptions in the microbiome are associated with various conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), colon cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
In this thesis of Femke Prins, they studied the composition of the microbiome in cardiovascular diseases and explored whether the microbiome can be used as a biomarker in clinical practice to better diagnose gut diseases and predict disease progression and therapy responses. The results show that the microbiome in IBD and Lynch syndrome differs from that of healthy individuals, which could potentially assist in diagnosing these conditions, although its predictive value for disease progression and therapy response remains limited. In cardiovascular diseases, certain bacteria were found to be associated with cardiovascular risk levels. Additionally, a link was discovered between TMAO levels (a substance produced by gut bacteria) and the severity of a heart attack.
These findings contribute to the growing understanding of the microbiome's role in diseases. While this knowledge is not yet directly applicable in clinical practice, the future holds promising potential for integrating the gut microbiome into clinical settings.
