A joint study by the major Netherlands medical centre, Kwamenukhlma University of Science and Technology (Knust) and Amsterdam UMC found that immigrants, in this case from West Africa to Europe, experienced a “clear change” in microbiome composition compared to the increase in West African nonimmigrant peers.
Findings published in the Journal Intestinal Microorganisms on April 6 show that participants who lost or acquired a new group of intestinal microorganisms have a higher percentage of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and renal dysfunction.
The postdoctoral researcher at Amsterdam UMC, the first author of Baba Lelhar, who was a postdoctoral researcher at Amsterdam UMC and who conducted research with colleagues at the University of Ghana and Kwamnukulma University of Science (Knust) (Knust), explained:
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“While migration was already thought to affect individual microbiota, previous studies only compared first and second generation immigrants, whether they lacked the number of individuals included, or did not control dietary variation. Our study utilizes our own Rodham research cohort to clearly demonstrate this change,” says Verhaar.
The UMC-led study in Amsterdam included over 1,100 individuals from two separate continents and three locations. It is in the countryside of Ghana, the city of Ghana, or the Netherlands.
Respondents completed the same dietary questionnaire and provided both fecal and blood samples to determine the composition of the gut microbiota.
The analysis revealed the presence of different microorganisms across the three groups, in line with the hypothesis that migration affects microbiota composition.
Findings show that some microbial groups disappear and new microbial groups appear along the axis of migration.
Health outcomes
Previous research and the World Health Organization note that immigrants experience healthier outcomes more frequently than resident residents, and a study from Amsterdam UMC found this too in the Netherlands.
“This study highlights the associations of gut health and how we view the adverse health outcomes that are often associated with migration. It is fascinating to know that once we migrate, we lose some of the associated microorganisms we acquired in our home countries and we can pick up new microorganisms in new countries. These were more likely to contribute to the change in longitudinal studies in the gut to add Charles Aggieman, senior author of intestinal immigration, ethnicity and health to validate these findings.
The risks of psychometabolicism are growing concern for researchers around the world, and Aggieman is currently leading many projects in both the Netherlands and several African countries, aiming to develop better interventions to reduce the risk of developing psychometabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. To improve the management of cardiac metabolic diseases.
As part of these efforts, like this study, he works with several institutions around the world, particularly in the African region, to ensure that research in Amsterdam is enhanced with international data and that the findings are translated into concrete policies.
“The results of this study provide important insights into how migration can reconstruct the gut microbiota and subsequent health outcomes and highlight the needs of North-South collaboration,” adds Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Knust's lead in epidemiology and global health and research.
Other Knust researchers involved in this study include Dr. Samuel Nkansah Darko, School of Molecular Medicine, and Dr. Sampson Twumasi-Ankrah, Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences.
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