Atherosclerosis and microflora

Atherosclerotic plaques that clog the lumen of the arteries and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke may appear due to bacteria living in the oral cavity and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. This explains why diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are often accompanied by atherosclerosis - a condition in which plaques of lipids, calcium, cholesterol and other components are deposited on the inner walls of blood vessels.

As such plaques grow, the lumen of the vessels narrows down to complete obturation (blockage) of the vessel. This leads to a violation of the blood supply to vital organs and tissues and, as a consequence, to ischemic myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, intermittent lameness and dry gangrene of the extremities, intestinal infarction and other life-threatening conditions.

The immune system plays a well-known role in vascular obturation: macrophages and leukocytes infiltrate the inner wall of the vessel, provoking further deposition of lipids and cholesterol.

It is generally believed that excessive consumption of fatty foods plays a major role in the progression of atherosclerosis and that some fractions of lipids that have entered the body are among the components of the plaque. But now there is more and more data refuting an unbalanced diet as a cause of atherosclerosis.

A group of scientists led by Frank C. Nicols from the University of Connecticut (USA) analyzed samples obtained as a result of carotid endarterectomy surgery performed on patients (removal of the inner wall of the carotid artery affected by atherosclerotic plaque, for the prevention of ischemic stroke). It was found that the lipids present in the plaques are not of animal origin at all, but are related to bacteria of the genus Bacteroides.

Bacteroids produce lipids that are quite specific: the fatty acids they consist of have branched chains and contain an odd number of carbon atoms. Fatty acids of animal fats do not have such features. In addition, fats of animal and bacterial origin have different weights.

The presence of fats of bacterial origin in the plaque may explain the reaction of the immune system – macrophages migrate to the site of the appearance of a foreign agent. The researchers also found that there is an enzyme that breaks down lipids of bacterial origin into primary components, the presence of which contributes to the maintenance of chronic inflammation.

At the same time, the bacteria themselves act indirectly, without penetrating into the vessel wall. They populate the oral cavity and intestines and usually do not manifest themselves in any way, only under certain conditions can cause inflammation of the gums. However, the lipids they produce enter the bloodstream and are deposited on the inner walls of the arteries.

Currently, a new study is planned to determine in which vessels lipids of bacterial origin mainly accumulate, in order to further use this information for the prevention of serious conditions associated with atherosclerosis.

Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to Medical News Today: Clogged arteries may be down to bacteria, not diet.