A Relationship Between the Gut Microbiome and Bone Density

Changes in the gut microbiome take place with advancing age, an increase in populations that provoke chronic inflammation, a reduction in the populations producing beneficial metabolites. Even only considering rising levels of inflammation in the aging body, it is clear that the gut microbiome can contribute to many age-related conditions. As researchers investigate the details, they also find other ways in which specific manifestations of aging may be in part caused by changes in the gut microbiome. Given that there are practical approaches demonstrated to restore a more youthful balance of intestinal microbial populations, such as flagellin immunization and fecal microbiota transplantation, one would imagine that we'll see greater adoption of these interventions in the near future. The gut microbiome affects the inflammatory environment through effects on T-cells, which influence the production of immune mediators and inflammatory cytokines that stimulate osteoclastogenesis and bone loss in mice. However, there are few large human studies of the gut microbiome and skeletal health. We investigated the association between the human gut microbiome and high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) scans of the radius and tibia in two large cohorts; Framingham Heart Study (FHS, n=1,227, age range 32-89), and the Osteoporosis in Men Study (MrOS, n=836, age range 78-98). Stool samples from study participants underwent amplification and seque...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs