Gut Microbiota and Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) has been historically investigated as a metabolic disease focusing on dyslipidaemia and inflammation. The advent of the Human Microbiome Project has introduced the gut microbiota as a new player in the pathogenesis of CAD. Recent studies have shown that ageing and Western diets not only increase our risk of CAD but also affect gut microbiota composition and its interaction with our metabolic homeostasis. This chapter provides a short description of the historical timeline and the potential sources of the microbiome in humans. It aims to summarize and give a brief overview of the current knowledge on the impact of the gut microbiota on metabolism, with particular emphasis on CAD and the potential of influencing the microbiota to protect against CAD.