Although diet has long been known to contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), research over the past decade has revealed an unexpected interplay between nutrient intake, gut microbial metabolism and the host to modify the risk of developing CVD. Microbial-associated molecular patterns are sensed by host pattern recognition receptors and have been suggested to drive CVD pathogenesis. In addition, the host microbiota produces various metabolites, such as trimethylamine-N-oxide, short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids, that affect CVD pathogenesis. These recent advances support the notion that targeting the interactions between the host and microorganisms may hold promise for the prevention or treatment of CVD. In this Review, we summarize our current knowledge of the gut microbial mechanisms that drive CVD, with special emphasis on therapeutic interventions, and we highlight the need to establish causal links between microbial pathways and CVD pathogenesis.

尽管饮食一直以来都是导致心血管疾病（CVD）发病机理的原因，但过去十年的研究表明，营养摄入，肠道微生物代谢与宿主之间发生意想不到的相互作用，从而改变了罹患CVD的风险。微生物相关的分子模式被宿主模式识别受体感知，并被认为可以驱动CVD的发病机理。此外，宿主菌群会产生各种代谢物，例如三甲胺-N-氧化物，短链脂肪酸和仲胆汁酸，影响CVD的发病机理。这些最新进展支持了这样一种观念，即靶向宿主与微生物之间的相互作用可能为CVD的预防或治疗带来希望。在本综述中，我们总结了我们目前对驱动CVD的肠道微生物机制的了解，特别强调了治疗性干预措施，并且强调了建立微生物途径与CVD发病机制之间因果关系的必要性。