It is well known that metabolic responses to diet and drugs are affected by genetic and
environmental factors. Still, a large part of differences in responses between individuals
remains unexplained. To increase our understanding of individual differences, more and more
attention is paid to the role of intestinal microbiota. Not only energy and glucose may be
related to the microbiota, but also lipid metabolism. This is not surprising as lipid
metabolism, glucose metabolism, and obesity are closely linked.
There is substantial evidence from in particular animal studies that the gut microbiota is
related to lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. However, there is less evidence to what extent
modulation of the gut microbiota changes lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in humans.