Définition
Inflammaging is the chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation that accumulates with age. Unlike acute inflammation (which is protective), inflammaging is a smoldering immune activation that drives cellular damage, accelerates aging, and underlies most chronic age-related conditions.
The term was coined by immunologist Claudio Franceschi to describe a fundamental feature of aging: as organisms age, the immune system shifts toward a persistent low-level pro-inflammatory state, even in the absence of infection or injury. This is characterized by elevated circulating inflammatory cytokines — IL-6, TNF-alpha, hs-CRP — measurable even in apparently healthy older adults.
The drivers of inflammaging are multiple: cellular senescence (aging cells that secrete inflammatory molecules called the SASP), mitochondrial dysfunction producing excess ROS, age-related changes in gut microbiome composition, accumulating DNA damage, and declining regulatory immune function.
In women, estrogen is a potent anti-inflammatory hormone. Its decline at menopause accelerates inflammaging significantly — one of the reasons biological aging rate increases at menopause is this loss of estrogen-mediated inflammatory suppression via NF-κB. Interventions that reduce inflammaging include an anti-inflammatory diet (particularly omega-3s, polyphenols, and fiber), regular aerobic exercise, sleep optimization, and time-restricted eating. Elevated hs-CRP and IL-6 on bloodwork are the most accessible clinical markers of inflammaging severity.
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