Gut microbiota composition outperforms chronological age in predicting systemic inflammation and incident disease risk

Nature Communications, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77499-9 Here, characterizing 1,199 adults, the authors find that gut bacteria patterns predict inflammation and future disease risk better than age, with an identified microbiota type showing signs of “inflammaging” decades earlier, while a diverse microbiota is linked to better health.