The role of chronic kidney disease-associated dysbiosis in cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Survival outcomes of patients with end stage renal disease are worse than those of many metastatic cancers. Kidney disease patients are often inflicted with higher rates of cardiovascular disease, in which nearly half of the mortalities are attributed to adverse cardiovascular events. Of the multifarious reasons for this detrimental impact, dysbiosis in the intestinal microbiome is surfacing as a potential participant. This is likely due to the numerous metabolic and inflammatory shifts found in chronic kidney disease, as well as environmental changes within the intestinal lumen. Studies are beginning to link microbiota alterations mediated by chronic kidney disease to negative cardiovascular outcomes. Here, recent findings connecting dysbiosis in chronic kidney disease and various cardiovascular insults are reviewed.

Impact statement

Negative alterations, or dysbiosis, in the intestinal microbial community balance in response to chronic kidney disease is emerging as a substantial and important factor in inducing and exacerbating multiple comorbid conditions. Patients with renal insufficiency experience a substantial increase in cardiovascular risk, and recent evidence is shedding light on the close interaction between microbiome dysbiosis and increased cardiovascular events in this population. Previous association and recent causality studies utilizing experimental animal models have enriched our understanding and confirmed the impact of microbial community imbalance on cardiac health in both the general population and in patients with renal impairment.