Summary
This meta-analytic study of 21,000 fecal microbiomes from seven global repositories reveals that simple microbiome diversity metrics poorly distinguish healthy from chronological ageing. The authors demonstrate that a combination of Kendall uniqueness, loss of core microbiota, and specific shifts in disease-associated versus health-associated taxa composition are more robust biomarkers of unhealthy ageing, offering improved targets for microbiome-directed therapeutic interventions.
UK applicability
The findings are applicable to UK ageing populations and NHS-funded research on microbiome modulation in older adults. However, the study's global diversity may mask population-specific microbiome patterns; UK-based cohort validation and examination of dietary and healthcare factors specific to British populations would strengthen local applicability.
Key measures
Alpha diversity, Kendall uniqueness index, taxonomic composition (disease-associated and health-associated taxa), microbiome core composition, participant age (18–107 years)
Outcomes reported
The study analysed 21,000 fecal microbiomes across five continents to identify which microbiome characteristics correlate with healthy ageing versus chronological ageing alone. Key findings included that Kendall uniqueness index, disease-associated taxa abundance, and depletion of health-associated taxa are stronger correlates of unhealthy ageing than standard diversity metrics.
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