Exploring the intricate link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and the aging process: implications for age-related diseases - Review article

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Ben

Aging is a complex process defined by the gradual accumulation of impairments across molecules and tissues, resulting in frailty and loss of function. This decline is a major risk factor for many severe conditions, and gut microbiota dysbiosis is recognized as a hallmark of aging. The review examines how dysbiosis may accelerate aging and contribute to age-associated diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Animal findings suggest microbiome-targeting strategies, while additional human studies are needed to validate mechanisms and effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Healthy aging and intervention targets

Hallmarks of aging and microbiota dysbiosis

Abahussin etal. Gut Pathogens (2026) 18:3 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-025-00788-z](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-025-00788-z) Gut Pathogens REVIEW Open Access Exploring the intricate link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and the aging process: implications for age-related diseases Hanin M. Abahussin 1, Maryam S. Alotaibi 1, Othman A. Alhazzaa 1, Aminah G. Alotaibi2, Sarah M. Alsaab3, Nora A. Aljawini2 and Abdullah O. Alawad 1* Abstract Aging is a complex process marked by the gradual accumulation of impairments in molecules and tissues, leading to frailty and dysfunction. This decline is a significant risk factor for many debilitating conditions. Recently, gut microbiota dysbiosis has been identified as one of the hallmarks of aging. This review sheds light on the role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in accelerating aging and its relation to age-associated diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. Emerging research demonstrates a strong link between the gut microbiome and the aging process, although the underlying mechanisms remain under investigation. Animal studies suggest that targeting the gut microbiome may offer a promising approach to mitigate aging and related diseases. However, further human studies are needed to confirm these findings. Keywords Microbiota, Aging, Neurodegenerative diseases, Cardiovascular diseases, Stem cells, Senescence, Fecal microbiota transplant Introduction Aging is a multifaceted, complex process characterized by the progressive accumulation of impairments to molecules and tissues over a lifetime, often leading to frailty and malfunction. This gradual deterioration is the greatest risk factor for most common debilitating conditions, making aging a logical target for developing interventions to prevent, mitigate or reverse various agerelated diseases [1] such as cancer, neurodegenerative *Correspondence: Abdullah O. Alawad [alawad@kacst.gov.sa](alawad@kacst.gov.sa) 1Healthy Aging Research Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2Health Sector, Applied Genomics Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 3Digital Health Research Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and cardiovascular diseases. These age-related ailments pose a prominent global socioeconomic burden anda pressing public health concern. The elderly population necessitates integrative treatment modalities to achieve treatment outcomes over time. Thus, identifying therapeutic interventions that promote ‘healthy aging’(namely, the preservation of physiological and cognitive functions in advanced age, enabling self-sufficient performance of routine tasks among elderly) and concurrently impede the progression of age-related pathological conditions is of utmost priority. Given that aging underlies many chronic conditions, understanding the aging process will accelerate the identification of therapeutic targets for age-related diseases and the development of pharmacological agents suitable for clinical translation in the future. In 2013, López-Otín C and colleagues explored the aging process in various organisms, describing nine © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated

FAQs

What role does gut microbiota dysbiosis play in the aging process?

Gut microbiota dysbiosis is described as one of the hallmarks of aging and is linked to accelerating aging and age-associated diseases.

Which age-related diseases does the review connect to gut dysbiosis?

The review links dysbiosis with neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

What evidence supports microbiome-targeting approaches, and what is still needed?

Animal studies suggest targeting the gut microbiome may help mitigate aging and related diseases, but further human studies are required to confirm findings and underlying mechanisms.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Ben