Diet-induced Arrangement of the gut Microbiome for improvement of Cardiometabolic health

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The gut microbiota, that is, the communities of microorganisms in the human intestine, was recently recognized as an important factor influencing health throughout all stages of life. Obesity and type-2 diabetes have globally reached pandemic-like prevalence and are major risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, in particular coronary artery disease and stroke. These pathologies are referred to as cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), and to effectively tackle them it is crucial to understand interplays between dietary and microbial factors that promote or inhibit transition from early metabolic symptoms to cardiovascular complications. CMD are associated with dysbiotic microbial ecosystems in the gut, or alterations in the composition and function of the microbiota. Diet is a prime influencing factor of both the intestinal milieu and risks for developing CMD, but knowledge about the reciprocal interaction between dietary components and microbial populations is scant. Moreover, although certain gut microbial metabolites have been implicated in the onset of CMD, molecular mechanisms are poorly characterized and causal relationships have yet to be determined. The DINAMIC consortium will bridge the gap by investigating interactions between diet and the gut microbiota, and the potential of modulating these interactions for prevention of metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular complications in humans. This would enable novel nutritional strategies for prevention of CMD. The work programme is based on a combination of analysis of prospective and genetically well-characterized human cohorts to study associations between diet, the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic health parameters, with a series of targeted nutritional and microbiota intervention studies. The complementary use of large scale and targeted strategies, and explorative and interventional approaches, will deliver insights into nutritional strategies to develop practices for modulation of the intestinal microbiome to promote cardiometabolic health.