Gut Hormones GLP-1 and GIP Linked to Coronary Artery Disease Severity | Research

The takeaway

Plasma levels of GLP-1, GIP, and gut metabolite TMAO correlate with coronary artery disease severity in patients with chest pain during exercise.

61 patients stratified
Grouped by Gensini coronary artery disease severity score with gut hormone measurements

What the researchers found

Plasma GLP-1, GIP, and TMAO levels showed associations with coronary artery disease severity as measured by Gensini scores in patients undergoing angiography for exertional angina.

Why it matters

Understanding how gut hormones relate to heart disease severity could reveal new biomarkers for risk stratification and explain why GLP-1 drugs show cardiovascular benefits.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional study of 61 patients undergoing coronary angiography, stratified by Gensini score into normal, moderate-CAD, and severe-CAD groups, with measurement of plasma GLP-1, GIP, TMAO, and fatty acid composition.

What this study cannot tell us

Small sample size (61 patients) limits statistical power. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Single-center study may not generalize broadly.

How to read the evidence

Small exploratory cross-sectional study — hypothesis-generating with limited statistical power.

When this study was published

Published in 2026; contributes to the emerging gut-heart axis literature.

The bigger picture

This supports the emerging gut-heart axis concept and may help explain the cardiovascular benefits observed with GLP-1 receptor agonist medications.

Questions still open

Do GLP-1 drugs improve coronary artery disease outcomes by modulating these gut-heart pathways?
Could GLP-1 or TMAO levels serve as biomarkers for coronary artery disease risk?

Common questions

What is the gut-heart axis?

The gut-heart axis refers to the biological connection between the digestive system and cardiovascular health, mediated by hormones like GLP-1 and GIP and metabolites like TMAO produced by gut bacteria.

Does this mean GLP-1 drugs help the heart?

This study shows natural GLP-1 levels relate to heart disease severity, which aligns with clinical trial data showing GLP-1 drugs reduce cardiovascular events. However, more research is needed to understand the mechanism.

Read the original research

Exploratory Analysis of Circulating GLP-1, GIP, and TMAO in Relation to Coronary Artery Disease Severity in Patients with Exertional Angina.

Biomedicines, 14(2)

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Batirel, Saime; Cetinkaya, Bengu; Sahin, Ali; Alakbarova, Nodira; Guctekin, Tuba; Ozben, Beste; Tigen, Mustafa Kürşat. (2026). Exploratory Analysis of Circulating GLP-1, GIP, and TMAO in Relation to Coronary Artery Disease Severity in Patients with Exertional Angina.. Biomedicines, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14020260