Scientists have discovered that bacteria living in the intestines may play a much more important role in the development of coronary heart disease than previously thought. According to a new study published in the journal mSystems, this process involves a complex network of bacteria, genetic pathways, and metabolic reactions.

Researchers in Seoul examined intestinal bacterial samples from 14 patients with coronary disease and 28 healthy individuals. Using metagenomic sequencing, the scientists not only identified which bacteria were involved, but also what functions they performed.

The results showed that people with coronary heart disease had lower levels of beneficial bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.

These microorganisms usually help produce short-chain fatty acids that protect blood vessels and reduce inflammation. Instead, patient samples showed increased activity in pathways related to inflammatory processes and metabolic disruption, including the urea recycling pathway, and high activity.

Interestingly, some bacteria normally considered “friendly,” such as Akkermansia muciniphila and F. prausnitzii, behaved differently in patients. This indicates that even “beneficial” bacteria do not always act the same way; their effects depend on the overall condition of the body and the composition of the microbiome.

The scientists emphasized that the discovered link does not prove that the bacteria directly cause heart disease. However, the findings open new perspectives: intestinal bacteria may become important risk indicators and potential targets for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Researchers plan in the future to integrate genetic and metabolic profiling of bacteria to better understand how disease mechanisms are formed and how they can be corrected.