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Published on: August 8, 2014

The origins of age-related proinflammatory state

Luigi Ferrucci1, Annamaria Corsi, Fulvio Lauretani

  • 1Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Longitudinal Studies Section, Clinical Research Branch, ASTRA Unit, Harbor Hospital 5th Floor, 3001 S Hanover St, Baltimore, MD, USA. ferruccilu@grc.nia.nih.gov

Blood
|December 2, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Aging increases inflammatory markers like IL-6 and CRP. Cardiovascular risk factors and diseases contribute significantly to this age-related "proinflammatory state" in older adults.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Immunology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

  • Aging is associated with increased systemic inflammation, termed the
  • proinflammatory state.
  • The contribution of cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity to age-related inflammation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between aging, inflammatory markers, and cardiovascular factors.
  • To determine if cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity explain the rise in inflammatory markers with age.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 595 men and 748 women (aged 20-102 years).
  • Measured inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1ra, IL-18, CRP, fibrinogen, sIL-6r).
  • Assessed cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity, with adjustments in statistical models.

Main Results:

  • Older age correlated with higher levels of IL-6, IL-1ra, IL-18, CRP, and fibrinogen.
  • Adjusting for cardiovascular factors reduced the age association for most inflammatory markers.
  • Cardiovascular morbidity significantly attenuated the age effect on CRP in men.

Conclusions:

  • A portion of the age-related increase in inflammatory markers is linked to the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity.
  • Cardiovascular health plays a role in modulating the inflammatory response during aging.

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