Sex Differences in the Gut Microbiota as Potential Determinants of Gender Predisposition to Disease

[Scope] Dysbiosis of gut microbiota is involved in metabolic syndrome (MetS) development, which has a different incidence between men (M) and women (W). The differences in gut microbiota in MetS patients are explored according to gender, and whether consuming two healthy diets, Mediterranean (MED) and low‐fat (LF), may, over time, differentially shape the gut microbiota dysbiosis according to gender is evaluated.[Materials and Methods] All the women from the CORDIOPREV study whose feces samples were available and a similar number of men, matched by the main metabolic variables (N = 246, 123 women and 123 men), and categorized according to the presence or not of MetS are included. Gut microbiota is analyzed at baseline and after 3 years of dietary intervention.[Results] Higher abundance of Collinsella, Alistipes, Anaerotruncus, and Phascolarctobacterium genera is observed in MetS‐W than in MetS‐M, whereas the abundance of Faecalibacterium and Prevotella genera is higher in MetS‐M than in MetS‐W. Moreover, higher levels of Desulfovibrio, Roseburia, and Holdemania are observed in men than in women after the consumption of the LF diet.[Conclusion] The results suggest the potential involvement of differences in gut microbiota in the unequal incidence of metabolic diseases between genders, and a sex‐dependent effect on shaping the gut microbiota according to diet.The CORDIOPREV study is supported by the Fundación Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero, Junta de Andalucía (Consejería de Salud, Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca, Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa), Diputaciones de Jaén y Córdoba, Centro de Excelencia en Investigación sobre Aceite de Oliva y Salud and Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino, Gobierno de España; Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP14/00114 to A.C.). Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2012/39615, PIE14/00005, and PIE 14/00031 to J.L.‐M.; AGL2015‐67896‐P to J.L.‐M. and A.C.; CP14/00114 to A C; PI13/00619 to F.P.‐J.; PI16/01777 to F.P.‐J. and P.P.‐M.); Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Proyectos de Investigación de Excelencia, Junta de Andalucía (CVI‐7450 to J.L.‐M.); and by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER). Antonio Camargo is supported by an ISCIII research contract (Programa Miguel‐Servet CP14/00114).Peer reviewe