Gut microbiome tool; Gut Microbiome Wellness Index 2 (GMWI2)

[Sly Saint]

The gut microbiome, the community of microorganisms that live in the colon, may shape a person's risk of developing chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Now, scientists have developed a computational tool that they say can reveal how "healthy" a person's gut microbiome is, using data from a single stool sample.

Although the concept is intriguing, experts told Live Science they have reservations about how useful the new tool would actually be to patients.

The tool, called the Gut Microbiome Wellness Index 2 (GMWI2), gives users a score between -6 and +6. The higher the score, the "healthier" their gut microbiome reportedly is, and vice versa. In a recent study, published Aug. 28 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers found that the GMWI2 was 80% accurate at differentiating between a "healthy" gut microbiome, on the positive end of the spectrum, and an "unhealthy" one, on the opposite end. The tool was trained on stool samples from 8,000 people and then tested on samples from 1,140 people.

Anyone can freely download and use GMWI2, but they'll need a "basic computer science or bioinformatics background" to interpret the results, study co-author Jaeyun Sung, an assistant professor of surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, told Live Science.

Scientists invent tool to see how 'healthy' your gut microbiome is — does it work?

 

[Creekside]

I'm a bit skeptical about the reliability. There are so many factors involved that a microbiome pattern that's good for one person might be bad for another. Wouldn't the study more likely be finding correlations between health and breakfasts of Count Chocular vs oatmeal with a kale smoothie? Also correlations between health and high-stress jobs and financial worries vs low-stress high physical activity jobs?

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Do you think Gut Microbiome Wellness would come under pet insurance?

"Hi Mr Vet, my microbiome has been a bit out of sorts recently, what do you think."
"Oh, poor little biome, we will soon get him well again. That will be just $3000 madam, or do you have Bettavet cover, I wonder?"