Estudio comparativo de la microbiota intestinal entre pacientes con obesidad y sin obesidad

Abstract

Obesity is a multifactorial chronic disease with high global prevalence and one of the main public health challenges, particularly in Latin America, where its incidence continues to rise. Although it has traditionally been associated with sedentary behavior, excessive consumption of hypercaloric foods, and lifestyle changes, these factors do not fully explain its metabolic complexity. In recent years, the gut microbiota has emerged as a key component in the regulation of energy metabolism and inflammatory processes linked to obesity. Intestinal dysbiosis may increase the capacity for dietary energy extraction, promote fatty acid storage in adipose tissue, alter intestinal permeability, and induce low-grade systemic inflammation, thereby contributing to the development of metabolic alterations. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature to identify, compare, and analyze differences in gut microbiota composition and diversity between individuals with obesity and normal-weight subjects. The methodology followed PRISMA guidelines and included studies published between 2015 and 2025 in human populations, applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analyzed evidence shows that obesity is associated with significant alterations in bacterial composition at the genus level, with a higher relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, Blautia, Collinsella, Dorea, and Enterobacteriaceae, whereas normal-weight individuals show a predominance of metabolically protective genera such as Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, Roseburia, and Bacteroides, suggesting their potential value as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.