Biomarkers of intestinal permeability are linked to incident cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular events: a review of prospective studies.

Intestinal hyperpermeability, which refers to translocation of microbial factors into the bloodstream, is associated with many chronic diseases. Increased intestinal permeability may contribute to the pathophysiology of these diseases by promoting systemic inflammation. Although early work on the health implications of increased intestinal permeability focused on diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, subsequent preclinical and cross-sectional data identified that various types of cardiometabolic and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are linked to gut barrier dysfunction. More recently, a body of epidemiological studies has emerged, indicating that elevated biomarkers of intestinal permeability are prospectively linked to incident CVD and CVD events, such as myocardial infarction and stroke, even after controlling for traditional CVD risk factors. In this brief review, we discuss gut barrier function in health and disease, highlight methodologies used to assess intestinal permeability, and review the emerging literature demonstrating that measures of intestinal permeability predict future CVD across several populations.