Human Immunology and Nutrition Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Digestion. 2024;105(1):49-57. doi: 10.1159/000534733. Epub 2023 Nov 15.
There is still a considerable gap between average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in Japan. Recent research has revealed that gut frailty may be a worsening factor for various diseases, a cause of chronic inflammation, and a precursor to frailty.
Among self-reported symptoms, constipation is particularly significant as one of the key symptoms of gut frailty. Studies have demonstrated that individuals with constipation have significantly lower survival rates and are also at a higher risk of developing various diseases such as chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease. Various molecular mechanisms could contribute to gut frailty, and the decrease in mucus secretion is an extremely early-stage pathology. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota has a major impact on many conditions associated with gut frailty. Prebiotics, probiotics, post-biotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation are under investigation as a treatment option for gut frailty.
Although the concept of gut frailty has not yet gained widespread recognition, we hope to propose more practical screening methods, diagnostic approaches, and specific interventions in the future.
日本的平均预期寿命与健康预期寿命之间仍存在相当大的差距。最近的研究表明，肠道虚弱可能是各种疾病恶化的因素，是慢性炎症的原因，也是虚弱的前兆。
在自我报告的症状中，便秘尤其重要，是肠道虚弱的关键症状之一。研究表明，便秘患者的生存率显著降低，患慢性肾脏病、心血管疾病和帕金森病等神经退行性疾病的风险也更高。多种分子机制可能导致肠道虚弱，而粘液分泌减少是一种极其早期的病理。肠道微生物群的失调对许多与肠道虚弱相关的疾病有重大影响。益生元、益生菌、后生元和粪便微生物群移植正在被研究作为肠道虚弱的治疗选择。
尽管肠道虚弱的概念尚未得到广泛认可，但我们希望在未来提出更实用的筛选方法、诊断方法和具体干预措施。
