ABSTRACT
Hypercholesterolemia is a critical risk factor for atherosclerosis, mostly attributed to lifestyle behavior such as diet. Recent advances have emphasized the critical effects of gastrointestinal bacteria in the pathology of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis, suggesting that the gastrointestinal microbiome can therefore provide efficient therapeutic targets for preventing and treating atherosclerosis. Thus, interventions, such as probiotic therapy, aimed at altering the bacterial composition introduce a promising therapeutic procedure. In the current review, we will provide an overview of anti-atherogenic probiotics contributing to lipid-lowering, inhibiting atherosclerotic inflammation, and suppressing bacterial atherogenic metabolites.
