Shanghai, China — Chinese researchers have uncovered a significant link between the gut microbiome and human aging, according to a recent article published in the journal Nature Medicine. The study suggests that the gut microbiome is a crucial factor in determining the biological age of individuals and plays a potential role in regulating metabolic aging.
Understanding the associations between the gut microbiome, metabolism, and aging is essential for developing targeted interventions aimed at promoting healthy longevity. The research team, comprising experts from Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and BGI Research, conducted an extensive study involving 10,207 individuals aged 40 to 93 years.
Using 21 metabolic parameters, the participants were categorized into five distinct clusters, termed metabolic multimorbidity clusters, each representing different metabolic subphenotypes. Compared to the metabolically healthy cluster, individuals in the “obesity-related mixed” and “hyperglycemia” clusters exhibited a 75% and 117% increased risk, respectively, of an 11.1-year cardiovascular disease risk. These findings were corroborated in a second cohort of 9,061 individuals over a 10-year follow-up period.
In-depth analysis of fecal metagenomic data from 4,491 randomly selected participants revealed that gut microbial composition was associated with both metabolic multimorbidity clusters and age. Among individuals aged 60 years or older, those with a higher gut microbial age in the “obesity-related mixed” or “hyperglycemia” clusters faced an exacerbated risk of cardiovascular disease. Conversely, individuals with a lower gut microbial age exhibited a diminished cardiovascular disease risk, independent of factors such as chronological age, gender, lifestyle, and diet.
This pattern indicates that a younger gut microbial age may counteract the cardiovascular disease risk linked to metabolic dysfunction in older adults. The findings imply a modulating role of gut microbial age in cardiovascular health for metabolically unhealthy older individuals.
The study suggests that gut microbial age may serve as a promising biomarker and predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. These insights pave the way for potential microbiome-targeted interventions to promote healthier aging and reduce the burden of age-related metabolic diseases.
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Chinese researchers suggest gut microbiome modulates people's age
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