Abstract: Intestinal flora is a complex collection of microbial communities that participate in the physiological and pathological activities of the human body through various pathways. In recent years, numerous studies have reported that intestinal flora are involved in the occurrence and development of heart failure (HF) and its metabolic products could play an important role in this progression, suggesting a great value in the clinical treatment of this condition. This study reported the interaction between intestinal flora and HF, and with intestinal flora metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine N-oxide and bile acids and urotoxins, considered as the starting point, the mechanism of the roles in HF was summarized. Additionally, the current research status and the development prospects of applying flora and metabolites to the clinical therapeutic decision of HF were discussed.
Keywords: intestinal flora, heart failure, trimethylamine N-oxide, inflammation, probiotics, targeted therapy, fecal microbiota transplantation