Research in the prestigious FASEB Journal suggests that the types and levels of microbes in the intestinal tract may predict a person's chances of having a heart attack. It further suggests that modifying this microbial flora may help reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack. This is a revolutionary milestone in the prevention and treatment of heart attacks and highlights the impressive role of the microflora of the gut and its influence on the biochemistry and physiology of the rest of the body.
Studies in rats showed that the level of a hormone produced in fat called leptin was closely associated with the risk of heart attack; the lower the level of this appetite suppressing hormone the lower the risk for heart attack. The question arises about whether or not certain microbes in the gut worsen or protect against having a heart attack and perhaps many other diseases!
