Stroke is the leading cause of disability and death in the world. A stroke prevents blood from flowing to your brain normally. This causes the cells effected by the lack of oxygen to die, the dead area of brain cells which is caused by a stroke is called an infarct. There are several factors which put you at risk of a stroke. The factors under your control which increase your risk of a stroke include smoking, high alcohol intake, not enough exercise, and too much salt and saturated fats. Also, a diet low in fibre, fruit, and vegetables.
The role of a healthy gut may be significant in determining your outcomes suffering from a stroke. A recent study investigated the gut microbiome of healthy people compared to patients which had been diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke after 90 days and found significant gut microbiome differences.
Patients which were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke had less short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. SCFA production is produced by healthy bacteria in your body which protects your body in many ways including supporting optimal organ health and function. Those diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke also had more pathogenic bacteria strains or imbalance of amounts of the families of microbed Porphyromonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae and Akkermansia and Lactobacillaceae. Another study supports these changes in gut bacteria once a stroke occurred.
The type and number of different bacteria allowed the researchers to distinguish outcomes after a stroke from mild, to moderate, to severe outcomes. Those patients who suffered from acute ischemic stroke had a high Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, less SCFA good bacteria including the bacterium Roseburia and overall, less SFCA production especially acetate.
In addition to this the intestinal barrier function of these individuals was altered. This alteration of the gut microbiome from normal function means that normal movement of compounds in and out of the gut wall alter. When this careful balance is disrupted, it can lead to ill health consequences including the health of the brain.
One of three methods of communication from the gut your brain is through signals created by the microbes. These messages in the come in the forms of SFCA including the types known as acetate, butyrate, and propionate. Also, indoles, bile acids, and neurotransmitters. If these are not able to move through the gut wall, essential signals for health and function will not be received by the brain and consequently be one component leading to increased risk of stroke.
Take home message: Assessment of your gut health and gut microbiome could play a potential role in the future for assessing rehabilitation progress and recovery post stroke.
References:
- Durgan DJ, Lee J, McCullough LD, et al. Examining the role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in stroke. Stroke. 2019; 50(8):2270-2277. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.025140.
- Tan C, Wu Q, Wang H, et al. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in acute ischemic stroke and the subsequent risk for poor functional outcomes. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2021; 45(3):518-529. doi: 10.1002/jpen.1861.
- Xu K, Gao X, Xia G, et al. Rapid gut dysbiosis induced by stroke exacerbates brain infarction in turn. Gut. 2021. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-323263.
Chen R, Xu Y, Wu P, et al. Transplantation of fecal microbiota rich in short chain fatty acids and butyric acid treat cerebral ischemic stroke by regulating gut microbiota. Pharmacol Res. 2019; 148:104403. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104403
