Comparing Analytical Methods for the Gut Microbiome and Aging: Gut Microbial Communities and Body Weight in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study.

ABSTRACT: Determining the role of gut microbial communities in aging-related phenotypes, including weight loss, is an emerging gerontology research priority. Gut microbiome datasets comprise relative abundances of microbial taxa that necessarily sum to 1; analysis ignoring this feature may produce misleading results. Using data from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) study (n = 530; mean [SD] age = 84.3 [4.1] years), we assessed 163 genera from stool samples and body weight. We compared conventional analysis, which does not address the sum-to-1 constraint, to compositional analysis, which does. Specifically, we compared elastic net regression (for variable selection) and conventional Bayesian linear regression (BLR) and network analysis to compositional BLR and network analysis; adjusting for

SUBMITTER: Shardell M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7447861 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature