A new genetic study reveals that some gut bacteria and blood chemicals aren’t just linked to short stature—they may be causing it, opening doors to microbiota-based interventions for childhood growth issues.
Study: Causal relationship between gut microbiota, metabolites, and short stature: a Mendelian randomization study. Image Credit: Tomsickova Tatyana / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the journal Pediatric Research, researchers investigated the causal relationship between blood metabolites, gut microbiota, and the risk of short stature (SS).
SS is a common endocrine and metabolic disease in children, defined as a height below the third percentile or two standard deviations below the mean height of children of the same age, sex, and…