Role of the Gut Microbiome in Cardiometabolic Diseases

The gut microbiome has emerged as a pivotal factor in modulating human health, influencing a range of physiological processes and disease outcomes. Mounting evidence highlights a strong association between alterations in the gut microbial ecosystem and the onset of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, liver disorders, and metabolic syndrome. Despite increasing recognition of these connections, substantial gaps remain regarding the precise biological mechanisms by which gut microbiota contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases. Ongoing studies continue to probe how changes in microbial composition and function translate into host metabolic or inflammatory alterations, yet the field lacks a unified understanding of causal pathways, especially in the complex interplay with dietary factors. Recent scientific advances have provided valuable insights into the gut microbiome’s potential as a target for therapeutic intervention. Notably, research has begun to explore nutrition-based strategies—such as dietary modulation, probiotics, and prebiotics—to favorably alter the gut microbiome and promote systemic health. Early results are promising, suggesting that specific dietary interventions may hold preventative or therapeutic value in chronic disease contexts. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of patient responses, microbial diversity, and host-specific variables represent significant challenges, reinforcing the need for integrative, mechanistic, and translational research in this rapidly evolving field. Methodological and bioinformatics limitations further complicate progress, as variability in study design and data analysis often obscures causal relationships between microbiome features and disease, also limiting reproducibility.

This Research Topic aims to clarify the underlying mechanisms connecting the gut microbiome with the development of chronic diseases and to evaluate the efficacy of nutritional interventions as preventative or therapeutic modalities. We seek to answer fundamental questions about the microbiome’s causal roles and elucidate how targeted dietary strategies may optimize microbiome composition and function in diverse patient populations.

To gather further insights into the mechanisms and translational applications at the intersection of the gut microbiome, nutrition, and chronic disease, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Mechanistic pathways linking the gut microbiome to specific chronic diseases
- Impact of diet, prebiotics, and probiotics on microbiome composition and host health
- Clinical trials investigating microbiome-targeted nutritional interventions
- Host-microbiome interactions and inter-individual variability in response to interventions
- Multi-omics and systems biology approaches to studying the gut microbiome in chronic disease contexts.