Abstract
Trepidation with blood tests among men may result in fewer routine screening and examination of their cardiovascular risk factors. Associations between fecal microbiota and serum cholesterols have not been well-established. The aim of this study was to explore such association in order to determine the potential of fecal microbiota as a non-invasive alternate predictor of serum cholesterols. Secondary data from a cross-over trial were analyzed. Associations between fecal microbiota, mainly Bifidobacterium and Clostridial group, of healthy men (n = 16) and their total cholesterols, low and high-density lipoprotein cholesterols (LDL-C and HDL-C) were assessed using generalized estimating equations, adjusted for diet intervention, diet order, frequency of defecation and flatulence level. For every two-fold increase in fecal Bifidobacterium, geometric mean of LDL-C increases by a factor of 1.23 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.49) whilst that of HDL-C increases by a factor of 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.10). For every two-fold increase in Clostridial group (C. ramosum, C. spiroforme and C. cocleatum), geometric mean of HDL-C decreases by a factor of 1.10 (95% CI: −1.16, −1.03). No association was found between total bacteria and serum cholesterols. Fecal Bifidobacterium spp. and Clostridium spp., are potential non-invasive surrogate markers of men’s serum cholesterols.
Highlights
Frequent screening, such as blood tests, may facilitate management of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, but men are less likely to participate in screening services than women [1,2,3]
As this study aimed to investigate the potential of using fecal samples to predict serum cholesterol levels, the finding may provide insight regarding the potential of fecal analysis as a non-invasive alternate indicator of serum lipid levels, which may further inform personalized healthcare
Secondary data were obtained from a single-blind, randomized, cross-over, 12-week dietary intervention examining the effect of high fiber diet on healthy middle-aged men who were slightly overweight with an acceptable healthy range of serum cholesterol levels [5]
Summary
Frequent screening, such as blood tests, may facilitate management of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, but men are less likely to participate in screening services than women [1,2,3]. While the screening procedure can influence screening behavior, individual factors such as fear of pain was unexpectedly reported as one of the barriers to health screening among men [4]. Such trepidation can result in reluctance to undertake routine screening and/or examination attendance which results in blood taking among men, thereby increasing the mortality from cardiovascular diseases when men often underestimated their risk [4]. Studies investigated the health benefits of dietary fiber on serum lipid levels [5,6] that may affect risks of cardiovascular diseases albeit conclusions were inconclusive. Acknowledging the current gap of knowledge, this study aimed to determine the association between fecal microbiota (
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