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Age-related decline in intestinal villus length : a cross-sectional study on the human gut

2026-04Contributo em revista Acesso aberto
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Médicas::Ciências da Saúde
datacite.subject.sdg03:Saúde de Qualidade
dc.contributor.authorVara-Luiz, Francisco
dc.contributor.authorPalma, Carolina
dc.contributor.authorMendes, Ivo
dc.contributor.authorPiçarra, Francisco
dc.contributor.authorTeles, Ana Elisa
dc.contributor.authorNogueira, Filipe
dc.contributor.authorCosta-Santos, Inês
dc.contributor.authorNunes, Gonçalo
dc.contributor.authorPatita, Marta
dc.contributor.authorMocanu, Irina
dc.contributor.authorPires, Sara
dc.contributor.authorMeira, Tânia
dc.contributor.authorVieira, Ana
dc.contributor.authorPinto-Marques, Pedro
dc.contributor.authorMascarenhas, Paulo
dc.contributor.authorLeskiv, Iryna
dc.contributor.authorGomes-Pinto, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorFonseca, Jorge
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-02T08:11:34Z
dc.date.available2026-06-02T08:11:34Z
dc.date.issued2026-04
dc.description.abstractBackground/Objectives: There is widespread agreement that age is a significant predictor of impaired response to nutritional support. This is generally attributed to anabolic resistance, with impaired absorption considered irrelevant/non-existent. However, animal models demonstrate age-related structural changes in the intestinal mucosa that may reduce absorptive capacity. We aimed to evaluate potential histological changes in the duodenal mucosa associated with aging. Methods: We conducted a single-center observational cross-sectional study. Ambulatory younger (18–45 years) and older (≥70 years) adults referred for upper endoscopy were included and underwent duodenal biopsies. Those biopsies were analyzed and compared for histological/histomorphometric changes, including villus length. Clinical and laboratory data were also recorded. Results: One hundred patients were included (46 men/54 women), 50 aged 18–45 years and 50 aged ≥70 years. There were no duodenal endoscopic changes. The median villus length was 0.35 mm (IQR 0.32–0.41 mm) in older people, lower than in younger adults (0.57 mm; IQR 0.47–0.68 mm) (p < 0.001). In a multivariable regression model including age, sex, and Charlson comorbidity index, age remained inversely associated with villus length (p < 0.001). Older participants also exhibited lower hemoglobin, iron, folate, vitamin B12, albumin and vitamin D levels, despite normal inflammatory markers. Conclusions: Aging is associated with histological changes in the intestinal mucosa, including villus shortening. These findings support the concept of mucosal aging as a distinct biological process. Villus shortening may reflect reduced absorptive surface area and could contribute to age-related nutritional vulnerability, although its functional implications remain to be determined.eng
dc.identifier.citationVara-Luiz F, Palma C, Mendes I, Piçarra F, Teles AE, Nogueira F, Costa-Santos I, Nunes G, Patita M, Mocanu I, et al. Age-Related Decline in Intestinal Villus Length: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Human Gut. Nutrients. 2026; 18(8):1172. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18081172
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/nu18081172
dc.identifier.issn2072-6643
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/63482
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.relation.hasversionhttps://doi.org/10.3390/nu18081172
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectaging
dc.subjectduodenal mucosa
dc.subjecthistology
dc.subjectvillus lenght
dc.subjectclinical nutrition
dc.titleAge-related decline in intestinal villus length : a cross-sectional study on the human guteng
dc.typecontribution to journal
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue8
oaire.citation.startPage1172
oaire.citation.titleNutrients
oaire.citation.volume18
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85

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