Molecular Signatures of Meat Intake and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Epidemiological associations have been reported between dietary meat intake and higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), however, there is little knowledge about the underlying biological pathways explaining this relationship.Objectives: The overall aim of this project is to identify biological mechanisms through which meat intake associate with atherosclerosis and whether this association is being mediated through gut microbiota and metabolites.Work plan: We will undertake three types of analyses using data from Swedish epidemiological cohorts, to a)  examine the association of meat intake with gut microbiome (NSCAPIS-Uppsala=5,000, NSCAPIS-Malmö= 4,526), b) investigate the association of meat intake with metabolites (NSCAPIS-Uppsala=5,000, NSCAPIS-Malmö= 4,000), and c) quantify whether meat intake and higher CVD risk is regulated through the meat-related microbial and metabolomic biomarkers through employing mediation, Mendelian Randomization and gene-environment interaction analyses.Meaning: This inter-disciplinary project proposal will contribute to our biological and clinical understanding of the mechanisms driving CVD in low and high dietary meat intakers.

The findings of this study may be informative for future initiatives focused on stratifying preventive interventions for cardiovascular risk reduction.