Gut microbiota alterations associated with reduced bone mineral density in older adults.

Objective: To investigate compositional differences in the gut microbiota associated with bone homeostasis and fractures in a cohort of older adults.

Methods: Faecal microbiota profiles were determined from 181 individuals with osteopenia (n = 61) or osteoporosis (n = 60), and an age- and gender-matched group with normal BMD (n = 60). Analysis of the 16S (V3-V4 region) amplicon dataset classified to the genus level was used to identify significantly differentially abundant taxa.