Trimethylamine N-Oxide As a Potential Risk Factor for Non-Communicable Diseases: A Systematic Review Publisher Pubmed



Hoseinitavassol Z¹ ; Ejtahed HS^{1, 2} ; Larijani B² ; Hasaniranjbar S¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Endocrine# Metabolic and Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Published:2023

Abstract

Background: Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO), as a gut microbiota-derived metabo-lite, has been associated with a number of chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases. Objective: Considering the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), we conducted a systematic review to discuss the TMAO association with NCDs. Methods: A comprehensive search has been conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases up to December, 2020. The inclusion criteria were all related observational studies that surveyed the association between TMAO levels and non-communicable diseases. Interventional studies, animal experiments, reviews, case reports, letters, congress abstracts, and studies that were not published in English were excluded. Moreover, related review studies were separately dis-cussed. Results: Within 2191 recorded studies, 99 cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. The most common diseases associated with TMAO levels are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke, inflammatory diseases, neurological disorders, and cancer. Elevated TMAO levels as a consequence of alteration in gut microbiota composition and dietary intake can lead to the incidence of NCDs. The high levels of TMAO can disrupt the home-ostasis of glucose and lipids and induce inflammation that leads to serious NCDs. Conclusion: There is a dose-response relationship between TMAO levels and NCDs progression. Therefore, it can be studied as a therapeutic target or prognostic biomarker for dealing with NCDs. © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.