Inflammaging Is Chronic, Stealthy and Can Be a Serious Threat to Your Health - WSJ [View all]

[question everything]

“Inflammaging” sounds like just another marketing buzzword wellness companies are throwing around. You would be wise to take the condition seriously. A combination of inflammation and aging, the term describes a simmering form of inflammation—the immune system’s response to a perceived threat—that is chronic and low-grade, and builds stealthily as you age. It is associated with an increased risk of heart attack, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other conditions.

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Inflammation isn’t inherently bad. It is the body’s natural way of protecting itself from harm. That can be helpful in fighting off a viral infection like Covid, or in healing a cut on the finger. It normally subsides once the healing is done.

Chronic inflammation also comes from the body trying to protect itself. But it doesn’t subside, and can harm rather than heal. People develop systemic inflammation as they age, as their bodies respond to substances or conditions they perceive as abnormal: a buildup of fat cells in the abdomen, for example. One likely source of inflammaging is cellular senescence, when damaged aging cells stop dividing, build up and secrete inflammatory proteins.

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Blood tests measure markers of inflammation such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and ferritin, but most can’t distinguish between temporary and prolonged inflammation. They also don’t pinpoint the source.

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Treating chronic inflammation can be tricky. A drug has to tamp down inflammation without blocking the immune system. Some patients who have atherosclerosis or are at high risk of cardiovascular disease are treated for inflammation with a low-dose version of the drug colchicine, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023 for that use. The drug has been used for years to treat gout, a joint-pain disease. Researchers are studying whether other drugs, including GLP-1s, can lower inflammatory markers. And Novo Nordisk and CSL Behring are testing potential anti-inflammatory medications in patients who have cardiovascular disease or are at high risk.

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