Scientists find leaky gut may be linked to faster biological aging

The team examined colon, ileum, stool, and blood samples from individuals with chronic HIV infection along with matched controls and discovered a significant correlation between disrupted gut microbiomes, heightened intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and accelerated biological aging. They also found a link between accelerated biological aging and the microbiomes of both the colon and ileum, but not the fecal microbiome.

The findings indicated that the location of the microbiome greatly influences its effects and that the biological age can be assessed through various advanced techniques such as telomere length analysis and epigenetic clocks, which estimate age by examining DNA methylation patterns.

"More investigation is needed to fully understand the underlying causes and potential impacts of our findings," said Dr. Abdel-Mohsen. "Moreover, there's a crucial need to create strategies to prevent intestinal dysbiosis and gut leakiness and to determine how these strategies could affect an individual's biological age. Our work is just the beginning of an exciting journey into enhancing health and longevity."

Reference: Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen. Distinct intestinal microbial signatures linked to accelerated systemic and intestinal biological aging. Microbiome, 2024; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s40168-024-01758-4