A groundbreaking study by Chinese researchers highlights the critical role of the gut microbiome in determining human aging and cardiovascular health. Published in Nature Medicine, the research explores how the composition of gut bacteria can influence metabolic aging and contribute to disease risk.
The team from Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and BGI Research analyzed data from over 10,000 individuals aged between 40 and 93. By examining 21 metabolic parameters, they categorized participants into five metabolic multimorbidity clusters, revealing distinct metabolic subphenotypes.
Notably, clusters identified as \"obesity-related mixed\" and \"hyperglycemia\" showed significantly higher cardiovascular disease risks—75% and 117% increases respectively—compared to metabolically healthy clusters. These findings were consistent in a second cohort over a 10-year follow-up period.
Further analysis of gut microbial data from 4,491 individuals demonstrated that gut microbiome composition is intricately linked to both metabolic clusters and age. Impressively, among those aged 60 and above, a younger gut microbial age mitigated the heightened cardiovascular disease risk associated with unhealthy metabolic clusters.
These insights suggest that gut microbial age could serve as a promising biomarker for predicting cardiovascular disease risk, paving the way for personalized interventions aimed at promoting healthy aging and longevity.
Reference(s):
Chinese researchers suggest gut microbiome modulates people's age
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