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Effects of products designed to modulate the gut microbiota on hyperlipidaemia

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Abstract

Purpose

Fatalities due to heart and cerebrovascular diseases caused by uncontrolled hyperlipidaemia increase every year; on the other hand, lipid-lowering drugs are known to cause side effects. The gut microbiota has been thoroughly investigated by researchers and consumers, because they have unique functional properties and littler side effects. However, the effects of the gut microbiota remain controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of products designed to modulate the gut microbiota on various hyperlipidaemias.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library (Central), and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials (published before June 2017, and those only in English) to compare treatment (products designed to modulate the gut microbiota) versus placebo. Our main endpoints were total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in serum. We assessed pooled data using a fixed effects model.

Results

Of 1337 identified studies, 21 were eligible and included in our analysis (n = 1436 participants). The combined estimate of effect size for the impact of products designed to modulate the gut microbiota on serum TC (WMD − 11.07 mg/dL, 95% CI − 13.72 to − 8.43, p < 0.001), LDL-C (WMD − 10.96 mg/dL, 95% CI − 13.37 to − 8.56, p < 0.001), and HDL-C (WMD 0.72 mg/dL, 95% CI 0.06–1.38, p = 0.032) were statistically significant, while no significant effect was found on TG concentrations (WMD − 0.56 mg/dL, 95% CI − 5.59 to 4.47, p = 0.828). Subgroup analysis showed parallel trials, probiotics, and long-term intervention had better effects on lowering blood lipid levels.

Conclusion

Products designed to modulate the gut microbiota results in changes of the plasma lipid concentrations and these changes may protect against cardiovascular disease.

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Abbreviations

AHA:

American Heart Association

ATP III:

Adult treatment panel III

BMI:

Body mass index

HDL-C:

High density lipoprotein cholesterol

LDL-C:

Low density lipoprotein cholesterol

NCEP:

National Cholesterol Education Program

PRISMA:

Preferred reporting items for systematic meta-analysis

RCTs:

Randomized controlled trials

SD:

Standard deviation

SEM:

Standard error of the mean

TC:

Total cholesterol

TG:

Triglyceride

WHO:

World Health Organization

WMD:

Weighted mean difference

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81703677). The assistance of the staff is gratefully acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Xilong Deng and Jie Ma contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, 210009, People’s Republic of China

    Xilong Deng, Meiting Song & Changrun Guo

  2. School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People’s Republic of China

    Jie Ma

  3. Yangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou, 225000, People’s Republic of China

    Ye Jin

  4. Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210009, People’s Republic of China

    Cheng Ji & Weihong Ge

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  1. Xilong Deng
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Correspondence to Weihong Ge or Changrun Guo.

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Deng, X., Ma, J., Song, M. et al. Effects of products designed to modulate the gut microbiota on hyperlipidaemia. Eur J Nutr 58, 2713–2729 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1821-z

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