Dietary choline, gut microbes, and atrial fibrillation
Genes and Nutrition: Dietary Choline, the Gut Microbiota, and Atrial Fibrillation
Looking at whether choline in the diet and the bacteria in the gut influence heart rhythm problems and stroke risk in people with or at risk for atrial fibrillation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166625 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be asked to give blood and stool samples and answer questions about your diet and health so researchers can measure TMAO, immune signals, and clotting markers. The team will analyze gut microbiome patterns and use lab and animal experiments to study how choline-derived TMAO affects inflammation, white fat, and platelet activation via the NLRP3 inflammasome. By comparing people with and without atrial fibrillation and testing mechanisms in models, researchers aim to identify diet- or microbiome-based ways to lower AF burden and stroke risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have atrial fibrillation or are at higher risk because of obesity, heavy alcohol use, or heart failure and who can provide blood and stool samples would be the best candidates.
Not a fit: Patients whose atrial fibrillation is primarily genetic, who cannot provide samples, or who are unwilling to consider diet- or microbiome-focused approaches may not see direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to new prevention or treatment options for atrial fibrillation that work by changing diet or the gut microbiome.
How similar studies have performed: Prior human studies have linked higher TMAO levels to cardiovascular events and animal studies have connected the NLRP3 inflammasome to AF, but translating these findings into human therapies is still early and experimental.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koeth, Robert Alden — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Koeth, Robert Alden
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.