The gut microbiota (GM) has been the subject of intense research in recent years. Therefore, numerous factors affecting its composition have been thoroughly examined, and with them, their function and role in the individual’s systems. The gut microbiota’s taxonomical composition dramatically impacts older adults’ health status. In this regard, it could either extend their life expectancy via the modulation of metabolic processes and the immune system or, in the case of dysbiosis, predispose them to age-related diseases, including bowel inflammatory and musculoskeletal diseases and metabolic and neurological disorders. In general, the microbiome of the elderly tends to present taxonomic and functional changes, which can function as a target to modulate the microbiota and improve the health of this population. The GM of centenarians is unique, with the faculty-promoting metabolic pathways capable of preventing and counteracting the different processes associated with age-related diseases. The molecular mechanisms by which the microbiota can exhibit anti-ageing properties are mainly based on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. This review focuses on analysing the current knowledge of gut microbiota characteristics and modifiers, its relationship with ageing, and the GM-modulating approaches to increase life expectancy.

Obesity and its comorbidities are humans’ most prevalent cardio-metabolic diseases worldwide. Recent evidence has shown that chronic low-grade inflammation is a common feature in all highly prevalent chronic degenerative diseases. In this sense, the gut microbiota is a complete ecosystem involved in different processes like vitamin synthesis, metabolism regulation, and both appetite and immune system control. Thus, dysbiosis has been recognised as one of the many factors associated with obesity due to a predominance of Firmicutes, a decrease in Bifidobacterium in the gut, and a consequent short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) synthesis reduction leading to a reduction in incretins action and intestinal permeability increase. In this context, bacteria, bacterial endotoxins, and toxic bacterial by-products are translocated to the bloodstream, leading to systemic inflammation. This review focuses on gut microbiota composition and its role in obesity, as well as probiotics and prebiotics benefits in obesity.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La obesidad es un problema muy importante de salud pública. La evidencia actual confirma que la obesidad es un factor de riesgo cardiovascular, de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 y de algunos tipos de cáncer, y por este motivo se procedió a evaluar a la población rural para determinar el riesgo entre el peso y la presencia de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles (ECNT).
MÉTODOS: La muestra de este estudio fueron pacientes mayores de 15 años que acudieron a consulta en el dispensario, En cada paciente se registró del índice de masa corporal, así como el antecedente de hipertensión arterial y/o diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Se reporta la frecuencia y el porcentaje, odds ratio (OR) e intervalo de confianza al 95% (IC95%).
RESULTADOS: En 7 meses se registraron 912 pacientes, de los cuales 145 (15.90%) tuvieron ECNT y 767 (84.1%) sin ECNT. El peso normal en el grupo ECNT fue de 74 casos (51.04%) y en el grupo sin ECNT fue de 262 casos (34.15%) OR =0.55 (IC95% 0.374 – 0.795) P=0.0016. La pre-obesidad, y obesidad grado I, no mostraron diferencia entre los grupos. La obesidad grado II en el grupo ECNT fue de 10 casos (6.89%) y en el grupo sin ECNT fue de 25 casos (3.26%) OR 2.198 (1.032 – 4.682) P=0.041.
CONCLUSIONES: el peso normal disminuye en 45% el riesgo de presentar enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en la comunidad de estudio. La obesidad grado II, aumenta el riesgo de tener enfermeda­des crónicas 2.2 veces.