The investigators plan to enroll total 70 hypertensive and normotensive cases from the elderly health examination in Cathay General Hospital, who are aged from 65 to 80 years. Body mass index and blood samples for biochemical analysis such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels are taken, and fecal samples are collected for analysis of gut microbiota, which is characterized by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Besides, the diet and nutrients intake are recorded and calculated by licensed dietitian. Through the exploration of gut microbiota in hypertensive patients, the results can be the reference for clinical treatment.
Recent animal and human studies have found the relationship between the composition of the gut microbiota and hypertension, but some studies did not have a detailed evaluation of the diet content, which could be an important effect on gut microbiota. Moreover, most of these studies were finished in Western countries, in which the dietary patterns were significantly different from those in Chinese regions. This study intends to establish Taiwanese local data to explore the differences in the composition of gut microbiota among hypertensive patients and normotensive subjects.