Disordered gut microbiota and alterations in metabolic patterns are associated with atrial fibrillation

With the establishment of the heart-gut axis concept, accumulating studies suggest that the gut microbiome plays an important role in the genesis of cardiovascular diseases. Yet, little evidence has been reported characterizing the gut microbiota shift in correspondence to arrhythmia, particularly in atrial fibrillation, the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia with worldwide prevalence. We include the first result of the global alterations that occur in the intestinal microbiota based on a strategy of metagenomic and metabolomic analyses. Our findings characterize the disordered gut microbiota and microbial metabolite profiles in atrial fibrillation. Intervention strategies targeting microbiome composition to counteract the progression of atrial fibrillation are highly suggested.