Certain gut microbes may affect stroke risk and severity, scientists find

Scientists have identified groups of gut microbes that could increase or decrease someone's risk of having a stroke. The research presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) in Lyon, France, adds to growing evidence that alterations in the gut microbiome could play a role in cardiovascular disease.

The formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries may be influenced by certain microbes in the gut.

The Sant Pau Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, and Dr Miquel Lled took stool samples from 89 people who had recently suffered a ischaemic stroke to investigate whether they may also influence people's recovery from stroke.

Lled said that they identified new taxa that were associated with higher risk of stroke severity in the acute phase.

The discovery opens the possibility that in the future we may be able to prevent strokes or improve neurological recovery by examining the gut microbiota. There aren't any specific treatments to prevent neurological worsening after a stroke. The use of new therapies could be useful to improve post-stroke evolution.

The research presented by Cyprien Rivier from Yale University looked at the link between stroke risk and alterations in the gut microbiome.

They combined data from 2,300 participants involved in the Flemish Gut Flora Project, plus a further 34,000 people who were part of a large study looking at the role of genetics in stroke risk. The 26bacterial species that were identified were associated with stroke.

Rivier said that most of thebacteria they found are associated with lower risk, but five of them are associated with an increase in the risk of ischaemic stroke or one of the subtypes of this type of stroke.

The next step will be to explore the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of certain species contributes to stroke risk.

River said: "bacteria can release toxins into the blood, they can also produce certain proteins that interfere with physiological processes." There is a pathway between the brain and the gut that is called the microbiota-gut-brain axis.