Intermittent fasting may significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, a new study has revealed.
Research published in Life Metabolism found that fasting every other day inhibits platelet activation and blood clot formation.
This dietary pattern could offer new hope for patients with coronary artery disease by altering gut bacteria composition.
Cardiovascular disease causes over 20 million deaths annually, primarily from heart attacks and strokes due to blocked arteries.
The latest findings reveal how intermittent fasting alters gut bacteria
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Risk factors include atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and increased blood glucose levels. These factors increase platelet aggregation, worsening the risk of arterial thrombosis.
Despite widespread antiplatelet drug availability, many patients still experience heart attacks from platelet-triggered blood clots.
In the latest study, researchers studied coronary artery disease patients who were already taking aspirin.
Participants were randomly assigned to either fast every other day or eat normally.
Blood samples were collected before and after the 10-day experiment to isolate platelets for analysis.
Similar studies were also conducted in mice, with one group fasting every second day. The results showed that intermittent fasting inhibited both platelet activation and thrombus formation in humans and mice.
Researchers identified high levels of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) in the fasting group. IPA is primarily produced by Clostridium sporogenes, a gut bacterium that increases during intermittent fasting.
Additional tests revealed that IPA treatment inhibits platelet activation comparable to clopidogrel, a common antithrombotic drug.
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Intermittent fasting may offer a potential new strategy for improving cardiovascular health
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The study findings suggest intermittent fasting could potentially treat patients with coronary atherosclerosis by suppressing platelet activation.
The combination of IPA and clopidogrel showed a synergistic effect on preventing blood clots.
However, researchers emphasise that additional clinical studies are needed to validate these promising results.
This dietary approach offers a potential new strategy for improving cardiovascular health through gut microbiome modification.
