Can taking probiotics help prevent a heart attack? A meta-analysis published in the Annals of Medicine (2015;47(6):430-40. doi: 10.3109/07853890.2015.1071872. Epub 2015 Sep 4) looked at the effect taking probiotics had on blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.) and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A total of 15 studies, involving a total of 788 subjects, published between 2000 and 2014 were selected. Probiotics were found to be a statistically significant value for a number of cardiovascular risk factors, including: reducing total cholesterol, reducing LDL, reducing body mass index, reducing waist circumference, and reducing inflammatory markers. The authors of the study state that the results suggest that probiotic supplementation is effective in lowering the lipid level and coexisting factors associated with cardiovascular disease.