Alteration in Gut Microbiota Composition of Older Adults Is Associated with Obesity and Its Indices: A Systematic Review

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging Vol. 27; no. 10; pp. 817 - 823
• Main Authors: Tavassol, Z. Hoseini, Ejtahed, H.-S., Atlasi, R., Saghafian, F., Khalagi, K., Hasani-Ranjbar, Shirin, Siadat, S. D., Nabipour, I., Ostovar, A., Larijani, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer Paris 01-10-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Diabetes Mellitus; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Syndrome; Microbiota; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Older people; Primary Care Medicine; Quality of Life Research; Review; Systematic review; Gut microbiota; elderly; obesity
• ISSN: 1279-7707; 1760-4788
• DOI: 10.1007/s12603-023-1988-8

Background
Obesity in the older adults is a health concern that increases the risk of several life-threatening diseases. Previous research has been revealed that alterations in the gut microbiota composition is related to obesity. So, understanding the gut microbiota changes in older adults’ obesity may help to provide promising strategies for their health management.
Objectives
Here we conducted a systematic review that investigate the alteration of gut microbiota composition in association with obesity and its indices in the older adults.
Design
Systematic review.
Setting
A comprehensive systematic search was performed through PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase databases for all relative studies up to 2023 with the main search concepts as Microbiota, Obesity and Elderly. The data about gut microbiota in association with obesity indices had been extracted.
Participants
Older adults (≥60 years).
Intervention
None.
Measurements
None.
Results
Within 10741 recordes, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Most of them indicated the gut microbiota alterations in obese compared with non-obese older adults. However, the gut microbiome composition in obese older adults is affected by other underlying diseases like diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The most important taxa that had abundance alteration in association with obesity in older adults were
Christensenellaceae, Porphyromonadaceae
and
Rikenellaceae, Akkermansia, Blautia, Prevotella, Ruminococcus, Bacteroides
and
Faecalibacterium.
Conclusion
The gut microbiota composition is associated with obesity in older adults. Considering the other factors affecting the composition of gut microbiota, such as age, underlying diseases and lifestyle, a more accurate conclusion about this matter requires more future studies.