Washington, Jan 13 - The bugs present in the gut can be used to predict a person's chances of a heart attack while manipulating them could help cut down such risks.

This discovery opens the way to new diagnostic tests and therapies for heart attacks. It also suggests that probiotics (good bugs) may be able to protect the heart in patients undergoing heart surgery and angioplasty.

"Our discovery is a revolutionary milestone in the prevention and treatment of heart attacks," said John E. Baker, study author and cardiothoracic surgeon at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, reports the FASEB Journal.

"The biochemical link between intestinal bacteria, their metabolites and injury to the heart will reduce the risk of death from a heart attack and, coupled with the use of probiotics, will ultimately be able to improve the overall cardiovascular health of the human population."

These findings by Baker and colleagues were based on experiments with three groups of rats, according to a Wisconsin statement. (IANS)