• Global research on gut microbiota in the elderly has steadily increased from 2014 to 2023, indicating growing interest and interdisciplinary expansion.
• COVID-19, oxidative stress, depression, and cognitive impairment are emerging research hotspots in the last two years.
• Bibliometric tools VOSviewer and CiteSpace effectively reveal research trends, institutional collaborations, and keyword clusters in this field.
• The field is still in a growth phase, with a need for deeper mechanistic studies and development of targeted interventions for age-related diseases.