Evidence mapPaperPMID 32214138Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2020

Rosuvastatin alters the genetic composition of the human gut microbiome.

Martin Kummen, Ole Geir Solberg, Christopher Storm-Larsen, Kristian Holm, Asgrimur Ragnarsson, Marius Trøseid, Beate Vestad, Rita Skårdal, Arne Yndestad, Thor Ueland and 8 more

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 56 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Gut microbes · 2026
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  11. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Martin KummenNorwegian PSC Research Center, Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Ole Geir SolbergDepartment of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Christopher Storm-LarsenNorwegian PSC Research Center, Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Kristian HolmNorwegian PSC Research Center, Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Asgrimur RagnarssonDepartment of Radiology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Marius TrøseidInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Beate VestadInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Rita SkårdalDepartment of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Arne YndestadInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Thor UelandInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Asbjørn SvardalDepartment of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Rolf K BergeDepartment of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Ingebjørg SeljeflotInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Lars GullestadInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Tom H KarlsenNorwegian PSC Research Center, Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Lars AabergeDepartment of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Pål AukrustInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Johannes R HovNorwegian PSC Research Center, Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway. j.e.r.hov@medisin.uio.no.
Oslo University Hospital · NOUniversity of Oslo · NOUniversity of Bergen · NO

Funding

Helse Sør-øst RHF 2016067Norges Forskningsråd 240787/F20
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The gut microbiome contributes to the variation of blood lipid levels, and secondary bile acids are associated with the effect of statins. Yet, our knowledge of how statins, one of our most common drug groups, affect the human microbiome is scarce. We aimed to characterize the effect of rosuvastatin on gut microbiome composition and inferred genetic content in stool samples from a randomized controlled trial (n = 66). No taxa were significantly altered by rosuvastatin during the study. However, rosuvastatin-treated participants showed a reduction in the collective genetic potential to transport and metabolize precursors of the pro-atherogenic metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO, p < 0.01), and an increase of related metabolites betaine and γ-butyrobetaine in plasma (p < 0.01). Exploratory analyses in the rosuvastatin group showed that participants with the least favorable treatment response (defined as < median change in high-density/low-density lipoprotein (HDL/LDL) ratio) showed a marked increase in TMAO-levels compared to those with a more favorable response (p < 0.05). Our data suggest that while rosuvastatin has a limited effect on gut microbiome composition, it could exert broader collective effects on the microbiome relevant to their function, providing a rationale for further studies of the influence of statins on the gut microbiome.

Indexed as

AdultAgedFecesFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeHumansHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsMicrobiotaMiddle AgedRNA, Ribosomal, 16SRosuvastatin CalciumHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsRNA, Ribosomal, 16SRosuvastatin Calcium

Identifiers

PMID32214138
PMCPMC7096534
OpenAlexW3013304688

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.