The metabolomics of human aging: Advances, challenges, and opportunities

As the global population becomes older, understanding the impact of aging on health and disease becomes paramount. Recent advancements in multiomic technology have allowed for the high-throughput molecular characterization of aging at the population level. Metabolomics studies that analyze the small molecules in the body can provide biological information across a diversity of aging processes. Here, we review the growing body of population-scale metabolomics research on aging in humans, identifying the major trends in the field, implicated biological pathways, and how these pathways relate to health and aging. We conclude by assessing the main challenges in the research to date, opportunities for advancing the field, and the outlook for precision health applications.