Gut microbiome pattern reflects healthy ageing and predicts survival in humans

The gut microbiome has important effects on human health, yet its importance in human ageing remains unclear. In the present study, we demonstrate that, starting in mid-to-late adulthood, gut microbiomes become increasingly unique to individuals with age. We leverage three independent cohorts comprising over 9,000 individuals and find that compositional uniqueness is strongly associated with microbially produced amino acid derivatives circulating in the bloodstream. In older age (over ~80 years), healthy individuals show continued microbial drift towards a unique compositional state, whereas this drift is absent in less healthy individuals. The identified microbiome pattern of healthy ageing is characterized by a depletion of core genera found across most humans, primarily Bacteroides. Retaining a high Bacteroides dominance into older age, or having a low gut microbiome uniqueness measure, predicts decreased survival in a 4-year follow-up. Our analysis identifies increasing compositional uniqueness of the gut microbiome as a component of healthy ageing, which is characterized by distinct microbial metabolic outputs in the blood. Increasing compositional uniqueness of the gut microbiome, and corresponding changes in microbial metabolites in the blood, are identified as a signature of healthy ageing in humans.

Automated summary

The study finds that as individuals age, the gut microbiome becomes increasingly unique, with this uniqueness strongly associated with microbially produced amino acid derivatives in the bloodstream. Healthy older individuals continue to show microbial drift towards a unique compositional state, while less healthy individuals do not. Retaining high levels of Bacteroides dominance or having a low gut microbiome uniqueness measure predicts decreased survival in a 4-year follow-up.