Inflammaging

Inflammaging describes the chronic, low-grade, sterile inflammation that develops with age in the absence of overt infection. It is characterised by often elevated baseline levels of pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, TNF-alpha and CRP, driven by senescent cells, accumulated cellular debris, gut dysbiosis and immune dysregulation. Inflammaging is a recognised hallmark of ageing and, in many studies, an independent risk factor associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, frailty, sarcopenia and overall mortality.