Rome III Criteria Capture Higher Irritable Bowel Syndrome SNP-Heritability and Highlight a Novel Genetic Link With Cardiovascular Traits

Gut-Heart Axis: The Role of Gut Microbiota and Metabolites in Heart Failure

Heart failure is a global health issue with significant mortality and morbidity. There is increasing evidence that alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiome, gut epithelial permeability, and gastrointestinal disorders contribute to heart failure progression through various pathways, including systemic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and modulation of cardiac function. Moreover, several medications used to treat heart failure directly impact the microbiome. The relationship between the gastrointestinal tract and the heart is bidirectional, termed the gut-heart axis. It is increasingly understood that diet-derived microbial metabolites are key mechanistic drivers of the gut-heart axis. This includes, for example, trimethylamine N-oxide and short-chain fatty acids. This review discusses current insights into the interplay between heart failure, its associated risk factors, and the gut microbiome, focusing on key metabolic pathways, the role of dietary interventions, and the potential for gut-targeted therapies. Understanding these complex interactions could pave the way for novel strategies to mitigate heart failure progression and improve patient outcomes.

Key Scientific Achievements in Gastroenterology in 2024: Meeting of the Internal Medicine Sciences’ Council of the Department of Medical Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences

19.12.2024 состоялось очередное заседание Совета по терапевтическим наукам Секции клинической медицины РАН, посвященное ключевым научным достижениям гастроэнтерологии в 2024 г. В ходе заседания обсуждались актуальные вопросы гастроэнтерологической практики, включая проблемы профилактики рака желудка у пациентов с хроническим гастритом, а также приоритетные направления в диагностике и лечении патологии печени и различных заболеваний кишечника.

Familial coaggregation and shared familiality of functional and internalizing disorders in the Lifelines cohort

BACKGROUND

Functional disorders (FDs) are characterized by persistent somatic symptoms and are highly comorbid with internalizing disorders (IDs). To provide much-needed insight into FD etiology, we evaluated FD and ID familial coaggregation and shared familiality.

METHODS

Lifelines is a three-generation cohort study, which assessed three FDs (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome [ME/CFS], irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], and fibromyalgia [FM]) and six IDs (major depressive disorder [MDD], dysthymia [DYS], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], agoraphobia [AGPH], social phobia [SPH], and panic disorder [PD]) according to diagnostic criteria. Based on 153,803 individuals, including 90,397 with a first-degree relative in Lifelines, we calculated recurrence risk ratios (λRs) and tetrachoric correlations to evaluate familial aggregation and coaggregation of these disorders in first-degree relatives. We then estimated their familiality and familial correlations.

RESULTS

Familial aggregation was observed across disorders, with λR ranging from 1.45 to 2.23 within disorders and from 1.17 to 1.94 across disorders. Familiality estimates ranged from 22% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16-29) for IBS to 42% (95% CI: 33-50) for ME/CFS. Familial correlations ranged from +0.37 (95% CI: 0.24-0.51) between FM and AGPH to +0.97 (95% CI: 0.80-1) between ME/CFS and FM. The highest familial correlation between an ID and FD was +0.83 (95% CI: 0.66-0.99) for MDD and ME/CFS.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a clear familial component to FDs, which is partially shared with IDs. This suggests that IDs and FDs share both genetic and family-environmental risk factors. Of the FDs, ME/CFS is most closely related to IDs.