Scientists reveal link of healthy aging with bacteria

The study published in the journal Nature Medicine highlighted that in healthy ageing, trillions of bacteria living in our gut could play a crucial role in this regard.

Certain diseases such as cardiovascular and neurological become causes of death for most people as they age and the risk factors of these illnesses could be reduced by a healthy lifestyle and the "gut microbiome", according to the study.

The current state of knowledge is allowing humans to reveal the usefulness of bacteria other than the risk of diseases.

Experts from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine investigated the association between microbial signatures and the development of cardiovascular disease.

In their findings, researchers said: "[We] found that a younger microbial age...effectively counteracted the cardiovascular disease risk in metabolically unhealthy older individuals, independent of chronological age, sex, educational attainment, lifestyle and dietary factors and medication use."

"This pattern...implies a modulating role of microbial age in cardiovascular health for metabolically unhealthy older people," they added.

"Future microbiome-based approaches tailored to individual health status are crucial for promoting health across the human lifespan," they wrote in their study.