ESOC 2022 | Gut microbiome composition shown to influence acute ischemic stroke risk

To date, few studies have focused on the relationship between the gut microbiome and cerebrovascular diseases. Cyprien Rivier, MD, MSc, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, shares an overview of a Mendelian Randomization study assessing the influence of gut microbiome composition on acute ischemic stroke risk. Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with microbial traits in the largest microbiome-wide GWAS were analyzed for their impact on risk of ischemic stroke or individual ischemic stroke subtypes. The study identified 26 bacterial species significantly associated with a change in the risk of stroke; most of the identified associations were protective. Ongoing work aims to elucidate the biological pathways through which the gut microbiome influences stroke risk. This interview took place at the ESOC 2022 congress in Lyon, France.