Dietary choline, gut microbes, and atrial fibrillation
Official title: Genes and Nutrition: Dietary Choline, the Gut Microbiota, and Atrial Fibrillation
Funded at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru · NIH-11166625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $402,500 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL158502-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11166625 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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 Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koeth, Robert Alden — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Koeth, Robert Alden
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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.