Elevated blood levels of trimethylamine N-oxide — a compound produced when gut bacteria digest nutrients in red meat and other animal products — are linked to higher risk and faster progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms, a Cleveland Clinic-led study found.
The study, published Aug. 20 in JAMA Cardiology, analyzed 658 patients undergoing aorta imaging surveillance in a U.S. cohort and 237 in a European cohort between October 2023 and May 2025. Patients with higher TMAO levels had greater aneurysm expansion and increased likelihood of requiring surgery, according to the study.
Targeting the TMAO pathway could offer a new therapeutic approach, as surgery remains the only effective treatment, according to an Aug. 20 news release from the health system.
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