Gut microbiota and probiotic intervention as a promising therapeutic for pregnant women with cardiometabolic disorders: Present and future directions

Pharmacol Res. 2019 Jul:145:104252. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104252. Epub 2019 May 2.

Abstract

Maternal cardiometabolic disorders, such as gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, obesity, and dyslipidemia, are the most common conditions that predispose offspring to risk for future cardiometabolic diseases, needing appropriate therapeutic approach. The implications of microbiota in the pathophysiology of maternal cardiometabolic disorders are progressively emerging and probiotics may be a simple and safe therapeutic strategy for maternal cardiometabolic management. In this review, we argue the importance of cardiometabolic dysfunction during pregnancy and/or lactation on the offspring risk for cardiometabolic disease in later life. In addition, we comprehensively discuss the microbial diversity observed in maternal cardiometabolic disorders and we present the main findings on probiotic intervention as a potential strategy for management of maternal cardiometabolic disorders. Current data reveal that gut microbiota may be transmitted from mother to offspring. Whether targeting microbiota with probiotic intervention during the periconceptional period prevents or delays the onset of cardiometabolic disorders in adult offspring should be tested in future clinical trials.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / microbiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / therapy*
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
  • Humans
  • Metabolic Diseases / microbiology
  • Metabolic Diseases / therapy*
  • Pregnancy
  • Probiotics / therapeutic use*