Overview
- NYU Abu Dhabi researchers analyzed saliva from 628 Emirati adults, including 97 with obesity, in a Cell Reports study drawing on the UAE Healthy Future Study cohort.
- People with obesity showed more inflammatory bacteria such as Streptococcus parasanguinis and Actinomyces oris, plus higher levels of Oribacterium sinus, a lactate producer.
- The team found 94 functional differences in microbial pathways, with greater carbohydrate and histidine metabolism and reduced synthesis of B vitamins and heme.
- Elevated metabolites—including lactate, histidine derivatives, choline, uridine and uracil—were linked to blood markers of metabolic dysfunction such as higher triglycerides, liver enzymes and glucose.
- Researchers plan follow-up work comparing saliva and gut communities and pursuing mechanistic studies and trials, as experts float potential applications like saliva tests and microbiome-targeted interventions; Abu Dhabi’s health authority hailed the dataset for precision medicine.