NIH Reporter #4R01AG067744-02

Prospective Study of the Gut Microbiome in Aging

This award funds a prospective study investigating how the gut microbiome influences aging and age-related diseases such as dementia, frailty, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, aiming to identify potential interventions to improve healthspan.

Description

Aging is associated with changes in the gut microbiome, including reduction in microbial diversity, variation in specific taxa, and alterations in microbial-derived metabolites; the gut microbiome in turn has been linked to age-related diseases such as dementia, physical disability, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, potentially through mechanisms that include modulation of inflammation and intestinal permeability. Our overarching hypothesis is that the gut microbiome modulates the association between aging, diet, lifestyle, and geriatric outcomes of dementia, disability, frailty and associated chronic diseases. In this proposal, we will prospectively examine the association of the gut microbiome in relation to cognitive decline, frailty and healthspan in a large, well-phenotyped older population to address gaps in our understanding of how our complex intestinal microbial communities influence aging and age-related diseases and whether they can be targeted as interventions to modulate health span.

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