“Inflammaging”: what it is and how to identify it

MADRID (EFE).— A new study questions the universality of chronic inflammation associated with aging , known as “inflammaging.” The research, published in the journal “ Nature Aging ,” suggests that this condition is closely linked to industrialized lifestyles and does not occur in all human populations.

The analysis was conducted by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in the United States. For the study, data from four populations were analyzed: two industrialized populations (the Italian InChianti study and the Singapore Longitudinal Study on Aging) and two non-industrialized indigenous populations (the Tsimane of Bolivia and the Orang Asli of Malaysia).

“In industrialized settings, we see a clear relationship between inflammatory stress and diseases like chronic kidney disease,” explained Alan Cohen, lead author of the paper and a member of the Butler Columbia Aging Center.

“In populations with high infection rates, inflammation appears to reflect the burden of infectious disease more than aging itself,” he added.

The researchers used a panel of 19 cytokines, small immune proteins, to assess inflammatory patterns . They observed that while the Italian and Singaporean populations shared age-related inflammatory patterns, the same was not true for the Tsimane and Orang Asli, where inflammatory levels did not increase with age.

“These findings really challenge the idea that inflammation is bad in and of itself,” Alan Cohen said. “Rather, it appears that inflammation—and perhaps other aging mechanisms as well—may be highly context-dependent.”

In the indigenous populations studied, inflammation levels were high, but did not lead to chronic diseases. "Approximately 66% of the Tsimane had at least one intestinal parasitic infection, and more than 70% of the Orang Asli had a prevalent infection," the report detailed.

“ Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer's are rare or nonexistent among indigenous groups ,” the report added.

Even when young indigenous people present high inflammatory profiles , these do not generate the pathological consequences observed in older adults in industrialized countries.

Based on these results, the researchers suggest a re-evaluation of aging biomarkers and emphasize that "the immunological processes of aging are highly influenced by environment and lifestyle."

"These results point to an evolutionary mismatch between our immune systems and the environments we currently live in," Cohen said.

According to the author, "It is possible that 'inflammaging' is not a direct product of aging, but rather a response to industrialized conditions."

“Factors such as environment, lifestyle—for example, intense physical activity or a very low-fat diet—and infections can influence the aging of the immune system.”