Key points from article :
Gut microbiome is influential on health, and undergoes detrimental changes across the course of adult life.
Unclear as to whether changes provoke inflammatory immune dysfunction or vice versa.
New study conducted the first metagenomics-based study among centenarians.
Seventy-five healthy centenarians participated in follow-up surveys and collection of fecal samples at intervals of 3 months.
Dietary status, health status scores, cause of disease and death were collected for 15 months.
Health status scores before death were significantly lower than those at 3 months before end of the follow-up period.
Analysis showed a significant change in gut microbiota from 7 months prior to death.
Analysis revealed significant changes in the abundance of ten bacterial species before death:
- 8 species significantly reduced
- 2 species significantly increased
Changes might occur before clinical symptoms of deterioration in health status.
Research by PLA General Hospital published in Frontiers in Microbiology.
