Baseline visit: Anthropometric measures and tongue microbiota sampling
CREST
Anthropometric measurements were conducted during the baseline visit. Weight and height were measured while participants were barefoot and wearing light clothes. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing kilograms of weight by the square of height in meters. Waist circumference was measured midway between the lowest rib margin and the iliac crest.To determine the composition of the tongue microbiota, anterior and posterior tongue swab samples were collected separately, as an ecological gradient in community composition is known to exist along the anterior-posterior axis of the tongue, resulting in two distinct niches [