What is Inflammaging and How to Tame it? Dr. Domenico Pratico, MD, FCPP
- Dr. Domenico Pratico
- Sep 29
- 3 min read
Did you know that with aging there is often associated a condition of low-grade, persistent inflammation, also called "inflammaging"?
In recent years, this condition has been associated with the increase in frailty, disability and morbidity in the elderly.
Owing to a boom in the elderly population and the worldwide prolongation of life expectancy, it is imperative to explore how aging contributes to frailty, and morbidity, particularly in older patients with chronic diseases. Therefore, a better understanding of why ageing results in progressively higher susceptibility to these phenomena has become an urgent public health priority worldwide.
Aging is a risk factor for several morbidities ranging from cardiovascular to neurodegenerative diseases such Alzheimer’s disease.
Aging results in cardiac remodeling, thereby leading to a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases. In addition, aging often coincides with cognitive decline and a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Interestingly, most of these conditions are associated with an inflammatory state which is considered important for their onset and progression.
What is Inflammation?
From a general point of view, inflammation is a reaction to an external or internal stimulus (or injury) of various nature, which is perceived by the body as potentially damaging. As a result, the body sets up a response via the immune system that should protect us, which may last hours or days but eventually it self-extinguishes. However, under certain circumstances, the reaction continues for much longer, becomes chronic and often has a negative effect on the organism involved.
What is inflammaging?
Recent studies have highlighted that during aging there is often a persistent, low-grade inflammatory condition even in the absence of a real inflammatory stimulus or insult. In general, older organisms tend to develop a pro-inflammatory status that is characterized by high levels of circulating substances with potent pro-inflammatory actions in various tissues and organs, a condition named inflammaging, a term coined for the first time almost 25 years ago by Professor Claudio Franceschi. Indeed, in his original definition and description, Prof. Franceschi referred to inflammaging as “a condition of chronic inflammation specifically during aging”.
What is link between inflammaging and chronic diseases?
After 25 years of research the root causes of inflammaging are still poorly understood, as are the mechanisms that connect inflammaging with cardiovascular diseases, brain health or neurodegeneration and with many other health outcomes. A critical question is whether this chronic inflammatory status directly causes the associated pathology or is instead an effect or a biomarker for the rate of biological aging.
Studies have shown that there are potential biologic mechanisms linked to inflammaging, which among others include genetic susceptibility, obesity, increased gut permeability, cellular senescence, oxidative stress, immune cell dysregulation, and chronic infections.
Inflammaging is characterized by enhanced circulating levels of various substances, also called “cytokines” and/or “chemokines”, produced by our own immune cells (lymphocytes, monocytes, etc.) which initiate and sustain inflammation such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), various interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6), and C-reactive protein.
Currently, inflammaging is viewed in part as a contributor to several aging-related diseases. Thus far, many studies have attempted to explore inflammaging in various organs (i.e., heart, brain) and its pathological relevance. Despite these efforts, the concept of inflammaging remains relatively enigmatic from a mechanistic point of view.
Furthermore, the therapeutic significance of inflammaging and the potential for targeting it in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease have only begun to be explored.
Can we treat inflammaging?
While we do not have a specific pharmacologic treatment to tame or combat inflammaging, there are a few steps that can be taken to reduce its negative impact.
Diet. Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, can help reduce inflammation.
Exercise. Regular physical activity can help lower inflammation levels.
Stress management. Techniques like meditation and yoga can help manage stress, which is a contributor to inflammation.
Healthy lifestyle choices. Prioritizing sleep, reducing alcohol intake, and quitting smoking are also important for managing inflammation.
To learn more about inflammaging, please read our recent review article:
If you are interested in reading more of my blogs:
Domenico Praticò, MD, holds the Scott Richards North Star Charitable Foundation Chair for Alzheimer’s Research and serves as a Professor at the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple, as well as a Professor of Neural Sciences at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
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