Research

Mixed

Higher plasma levels of Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and death due to kidney failure in a multi-ethnic general population.

High plasma TMAO levels are linked to higher risks of heart disease, kidney failure, and overall mortality. Since TMAO is produced by gut bacteria from nutrients in red meat and eggs, managing your intake of these foods and supporting gut health may help lower TMAO levels and potentially reduce long-term health risks. Consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Higher TMAO levels associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–1.17], CVD mortality (HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00–1.09), and death due to kidney failure (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.25–1.66) per inter-quintile range, but not deaths due to cancer or dementia.
Meng Wang et al. · European Heart Journal · 2023

Why this rating

Large, prospective, multi-ethnic community-based cohort (MESA) with long-term follow-up (median 16.9 years) and rigorous adjustment for confounders.

Source

Trimethylamine N-oxide is associated with long-term mortality risk: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Meng Wang et al. · European Heart Journal · 2023

DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad089

cohort · n=6785Cited 74×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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