Gut Microbial Activity, Lifestyle Factors and Bone Metabolism in Women
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Gut Microbial Activity, Lifestyle Factors, and Bone Metabolism in Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women
IRAS ID
358173
Contact name
Edward Chambers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 1 days
Research summary
Ageing is one of the most significant health challenges of the 21st century, particularly for postmenopausal women, a period characterized by profound hormonal, metabolic, and physiological changes. These changes can significantly impact health outcomes and quality of life, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders (Jul and Baron, 2017).
Osteoporosis is particularly prevalent among postmenopausal women, who are approximately two and a half times more likely to experience osteoporosis-related fractures than men of the same age. This increased risk is largely attributed to the sharp decline in estrogen levels after menopause, which disrupts the balance between osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and bone formation, leading to accelerated bone loss (Eastell et al., 2016; Garnero et al., 1996). Although pharmacological treatments—such as bisphosphonates, zoledronic acid, calcitonin, and biologics—are available, their high cost and side effects limit access. Similarly, the benefits of nutritional supplements such as calcium and vitamin D remain mixed (Eastell et al., 2016).
In recent years, interest has grown in the role of gut-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in bone metabolism. These SCFAs—including acetate, propionate, and butyrate—are metabolites produced by gut microbes during the fermentation of dietary fibre. They have been shown to influence various physiological functions, including bone metabolism (Lucas et al., 2018).
However, studies investigating the relationship between ageing and SCFA levels have yielded conflicting results (An et al., 2019; Andrieux et al., 2002; Cai et al., 2022; Chen et al., 2021; Gill et al., 2007; Malcomson et al., 2020; Rios-Covian et al., 2020b; Ruiz-Saavedra et al., 2020; Tiihonen et al., 2008), often due to poor collection of lifestyle factors such as fibre intake, physical activity, and medication use. Furthermore, most existing research compares young and older adults, without accurately categorizing premenopausal and postmenopausal women.
To date, no study has directly compared SCFA levels between premenopausal women (18–40 years) and postmenopausal women (60 years and older), considering differences in bone metabolism markers and key lifestyle behaviours.
Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of menopausal ageing and lifestyle factors—such as dietary fibre intake and physical activity—on SCFA levels and bone metabolism.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0850
Date of REC Opinion
16 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion