Inflammation is the immune system’s response to any perceived injury, whether it’s an infection, irritant, or physical harm like a broken bone. With a surge of proteins and hormones, its job is to contain and remove any foreign substances, clear away cellular damage, and initiate repairs. But along the way, a person may experience side effects like swelling, pain, redness, or loss of function.
Inflammation was identified by the ancient Romans, and modern science has linked chronic inflammation with numerous illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, and Alzheimer’s. Improving sleep, diet, exercise, and stress management can modulate inflammation levels, but there is no current cutoff to indicate when inflammation is harmful, or a test to discern whether inflammation is chronic or acute.
Chronic inflammation, much like blood pressure, may not have outward symptoms, but mounting research suggests constant, low-level inflammation as we age—termed inflammaging—appears to lead to attacks against the body’s own cells and tissues in ways that can wreak havoc on our minds and bodies.
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