The gut microbiome plays an important role in an individual's risk for atherosclerosis one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke says a study. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries. The researchers believe that the new finding could open the door for new treatment options for those patients with unexplained plaque build-up in the arteries. In order to understand the role that bacteria in the gut may play in atherosclerosis the researchers examined blood levels of metabolic products of the intestinal microbiome. Read: 5 natural foods to prevent heart disease They studied