Health and disease markers correlate with gut microbiome composition across thousands of people

TLDR

Variation in the human gut microbiome reflects host lifestyle and behaviors and can influence blood disease biomarkers, making gut–host relationships critical for understanding wellness and disease. The study examines associations between gut microbiota and approximately 150 host phenotypic features in a cohort of about 3,400 individuals. The analysis linked gut microbiota composition to these phenotypic features, identifying major taxonomic axes and a diversity maximum along the Firmicutes‑to‑Bacteroidetes axis. Both known and novel associations between microbiome composition and host clinical markers, lifestyle factors, and diet were uncovered, suggesting opportunities for targeted microbiome interventions.

Abstract

Abstract Variation in the human gut microbiome can reflect host lifestyle and behaviors and influence disease biomarker levels in the blood. Understanding the relationships between gut microbes and host phenotypes are critical for understanding wellness and disease. Here, we examine associations between the gut microbiota and ~150 host phenotypic features across ~3,400 individuals. We identify major axes of taxonomic variance in the gut and a putative diversity maximum along the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes axis. Our analyses reveal both known and unknown associations between microbiome composition and host clinical markers and lifestyle factors, including host-microbe associations that are composition-specific. These results suggest potential opportunities for targeted interventions that alter the composition of the microbiome to improve host health. By uncovering the interrelationships between host diet and lifestyle factors, clinical blood markers, and the human gut microbiome at the population-scale, our results serve as a roadmap for future studies on host-microbe interactions and interventions.