Inflammation in multimorbidity and disability: An integrative review

Multimorbidity is a robust predictor of disability in aging adults, but the mechanisms by which multimorbidity is disabling are not clear. Most existing research focuses on disease-specific phenomena, such as diminished lung capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can result in functional limitations. This review takes a different approach by highlighting the potential role of a biological process-inflammation-that is common to many chronic medical conditions and thus, from a medical perspective, relatively disease nonspecific.

Beginning with a description of inflammation and its measurement, this paper will provide an overview of research on inflammation as a predictor of disease risk in healthy adults and of adverse outcomes (e.g., disability) in those with multimorbidity.

The discussion of inflammation is then situated in the context of biopsychosocial influences on health, as inflammation has been shown to be sensitive to a wide range of social and psychological processes that are thought to contribute to healthy aging, including successful adaptation to multimorbidity and reduced risk of disability.

Finally, implications of this broader perspective for interventions to improve outcomes in aging adults with multimorbidity are briefly considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).