Inflammaging: Yes, It's a Real Word
Inflammaging: Yes, It's a Real Word
Preventing and mitigating chronic inflammation for longevity
In my career as a creative professional, I have developed a knack for naming, and when I first heard someone say “inflammaging” I thought to myself, “oh my gosh, that’s such a great word, I wish I had come up with that!” I honestly thought that the person had just coined this catchy word until I did my due diligence. Lo and behold, it’s an actual medical condition first conceptualized in 2000 by a Professor Franceschi. To be precise: “Inflammaging, defined as an age-related increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory markers in blood and tissues, is a strong risk factor for multiple diseases that are highly prevalent and frequent causes of disability in elderly individuals but are pathophysiologically uncorrelated.”
For heaven’s sakes, another blip on our age radar! While my intention is not to be an alarmist, I do want you to be alarmed. Why? Because this condition is a creeper: a slow, unnoticeable, exponential build that manifests itself in seemingly unrelated health troubles that one day become overwhelming.
Introducing Walker1
This brings to mind my dear departed cat, Walker1 (there was a Walker2, funny story for another day). When he was 5 years old, we discovered that he had damaged kidneys—most likely from ingesting a chemical like antifreeze—and that he was in chronic renal failure. To keep his kidneys functioning, I reluctantly became proficient at gently slipping a needle under Walker1’s skin and administering daily subcutaneous fluids, thereby flushing the urea from his system. (This is something I hope to never do again!) However, despite my best efforts occasionally the urea would build up, and the toxic chemical would flood his system, causing systemic inflammation and severe illness. An expensive hospital stay (which my husband and I ruefully nicknamed the “second-house-on-a-lake”) would be required to administer a gargantuan fluid session that would revive him, but not without collateral damage.
Each episode chipped away at the overall integrity of his system, causing micro-damage to blood vessels, tissues, organs… which accumulated and compounded over the years, causing him to develop even more ailments, culminating in losing one eye and going blind in the other. Honestly, his body was failing on so many different levels, it was a testament to the power of both of our wills that he somehow thrived for eleven more years, until finally he just couldn’t bounce back one more time.
Walker1’s slow degradation over a decade is a snapshot of inflammaging. Over time, an accumulation of events and strikes can imperceivably yet irrevocably undermine our bodies' intricate complex systems. Exposure to free radicals from environmental and dietary factors causing oxidative stress; increased cellular senescence through which damaged cells permanently leave the cell cycle leaving an accumulation of pro-inflammatory senescent cells; decreased hormone levels which increase pro-inflammatory response, impaired immune response which fosters an ever-present low-grade state of inflammation; and a labyrinth of other formidable issues with hard-to-pronounce scientific words… all of these can slowly erode our health, leaving us in a state of chronic inflammation and vulnerable to disease and disability.
From good to bad
Stepping back for a moment, inflammation can be beneficial; it’s part of our natural defense response to injury, illness, or toxins, dispatching inflammatory cells to defend and kick-start the healing process. However, when our bodies are constantly fighting against a myriad of assaults, a tipping point is reached and we enter the debilitating and dreaded state of inflammaging. This persistent state of inflammation can result in nearly too many ailments to list, such as frailty, cataracts, osteoporosis, cardiac and vascular dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and dementia…oh my!
Is it all inevitable? No, it certainly isn’t, not entirely. Inflammaging is in small part genetic and in large part epigenetic—dictated by lifestyle choices (such as diet, exercise, sleep, toxin exposure, stress, social relationships) that can either accelerate and exacerbate the normal aging process, or mitigate and even reverse some aspects. Top of the list, it is essential to maintain a moveable, healthy weight because adipose tissue (basically, a fancy word for fat) actually releases cytokines and chemokines which create an inflammatory state. All of these habits and factors are key components of a longevity lifestyle and nearly entirely in our control.
The power duo
Diet and exercise strike again! Healthy eating is a proven cornerstone that sets the foundation for impactful lifestyle practices. While there are many workable diets circulating in the health ethos sphere, I am a staunch advocate of eating a wide variety of whole foods. I’ve seen and experienced firsthand the multitude of cascading benefits of eliminating processed foods from our diet. It has been demonstrated that a whole foods diet with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and animal protein is associated with lower inflammatory markers. It also aids in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome (considered the second brain – more on that in another post), which is required for optimal metabolism, immune function, and brain function.
Additionally, flavonoids such as quercetin, navitoclax, and fistein that are found in fruits and vegetables like blueberries, strawberries and apples (specifically the peel) and the potent antioxidant resveratrol (yes, the same one present in red wine) are considered a “synolytic,” which may be a new powerhouse tool in the aging arsenal. Synolytics dispatch the damaging pro-inflammatory senescent cells, thus delaying or alleviating many age-related conditions. Even more reasons to make blueberries and strawberries, with an occasional glass of red wine, a staple of your diet!
Insofar as exercise, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of movement to our health span, but it is even more critical as it pertains to inflammaging. In general, exercise has been shown to serve as a natural anti-inflammatory that will delay or reduce the onset of chronic inflammation. Specifically, strength training will counteract the deleterious effects of inflammaging-associated muscle wasting that leads to frailty and impaired function. There is absolutely no doubt that exercise will improve your quality of life, so get up and get out: grab a friend and walk, hike, lift heavy objects…move!
Choices for a long health span
As regular readers know, I’m a firm believer in the waterfall effect of creating a holistic longevity lifestyle. Understanding the pernicious role of chronic inflammation to our overall health—which has far-reaching impact in our ability to enjoy a long and productive life—encourages me (and I hope, you) to pay more attention to the daily habits that can change our inflammatory response from good to detrimental, and avoid Walker1’s slide to the finish.
My other firm belief? Our bodies have an amazing ability to renew, restore and regenerate…it’s never too late to correct course. As evidenced in a 2005 study, just 10-12 weeks of moderate exercise lowered inflammatory markers in previously sedentary older adults. Start now! The wise choices we make in all aspects of life gives us the power to live well, age great.