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Age-Related and Lifestyle-Related Differences in Gut Microbiota Composition Among Community-Dwelling Adults
Siyu Li1, Xuefei Zhao1, Minjia Chen1
1Chongqing Key Laboratory of Digestive Malignancies, Department of Gastroenterology, Engineering Research Center for Advanced Medical Technology in Microecological Therapy of Chongqing, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400042, China.
Abstract:
As global aging accelerates, identifying age- and lifestyle-associated gut microbiota alterations has become critical for understanding healthy aging and microbiota-targeted interventions. To explore the associations of age and lifestyle factors with gut microbiota profiles in community-dwelling adults, 159 Chongqing residents were divided into young (18-39, n = 44), middle-aged (40-59, n = 71) and elderly (60-89, n = 44) groups. Fecal samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and lifestyle factors were assessed using a study-specific structured questionnaire. The Shannon index differed significantly between the young and middle-aged groups (p < 0.05), whereas other α-diversity and β-diversity analyses showed no significant differences. Age-related shift trends included decreased Bacillota and increased abundance of Bacteroidota. Young adults were enriched in Parasutterella, the [Eubacterium] ventriosum group and Anaerostipes; middle-aged adults were enriched in Clostridium sensu stricto 4, Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Holdemanella; and elderly adults were enriched in Prevotellaceae UCG-004, Helicobacter, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Fusobacterium. Lifestyle factors were independently associated with specific microbial signatures, including tea-related enrichment of Catenibacterium and Escherichia-Shigella, exercise-related enrichment of Dialister and Bavariicoccus, and milk-related enrichment of Bacillus and Klebsiella (formerly Raoultella). Overall, these findings provide population-based evidence linking age and lifestyle factors with gut microbial profiles and may inform microbiota-targeted strategies for healthy aging.
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