Gut microbiome patterns associated with biological aging in 123 adults

In an observational study of 123 adults, researchers compared stool microbiome profiles with blood-based measures of biological aging. Microbial community differences accounted for about 15% of variation in DunedinPACE scores, but the study does not show that gut bacteria cause changes in aging.

Microbiome differences explained about 15% of aging-rate variation.
Bacterial species showed associations in opposite directions.
The observational study cannot establish cause and effect.

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa analyzed stool and blood samples from 123 adults spanning a range of ages. They compared gut bacterial communities with DunedinPACE, a blood-based biomarker intended to estimate the pace of biological aging rather than chronological age. The study was published in *Scientific Reports*.

Differences in gut microbiome composition accounted for approximately 15% of variation in participants’ biological aging rates. *Bifidobacterium adolescentis* was among the species most strongly associated with slower aging, while *Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens* was among those most strongly associated with faster aging. The report also notes that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander participants were included.

The findings are associations and do not establish that the identified bacteria alter aging. The researchers said further work is needed to test causality and whether changing the microbiome affects biological aging or long-term health. The results do not establish a basis for microbiome-directed clinical interventions.

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Source

Scientific Reports (via ScienceDaily): The secret to slower aging may be hiding in your gut ↗

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