Lifestyle, not age alone, may be driving chronic inflammation

Time of India

2 days ago

New Delhi: As you grow old, is inflammation of your system bothering you? It might not be just your age, as your lifestyle could also be responsible for it. A new study published in Nature Aging suggests that "inflammaging" — a chronic, low-grade inflammation commonly linked with ageing — may actually be a result of modern lifestyles rather than an inevitable part of growing old.
Researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health compared inflammation patterns in older adults from industrialised nations (Italy and Singapore) with those in indigenous populations living traditional lifestyles, such as the Tsimane in Bolivia and the Orang Asli in Malaysia. The contrast was striking.
In industrialised populations, levels of inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumour necrosis factor rose steadily with age and were strongly associated with chronic illnesses like heart disease, kidney dysfunction and diabetes.
By contrast, while Indigenous communities showed elevated inflammation due to constant exposure to infections, these markers did not increase with age, nor were they linked to similar rates of chronic disease.
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"Inflammaging may not be a direct result of ageing, but rather a response to industrialised environments," explained Dr Alan Cohen, associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University and faculty member of Butler Columbia Aging Center.
"Our immune systems evolved under very different conditions than those we live in now."
Health experts echo these findings, warning that a host of modern factors, including processed diets, sedentary lifestyles, environmental pollution, chronic stress and poor sleep, are major contributors to persistent inflammation. "In industrialised societies, inflammation is largely sterile and ongoing, caused by metabolic changes and immune dysfunction—not infections," said Dr Richa Chaturvedi, senior consultant, endocrinology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.
"In contrast, in traditional societies, inflammation is mostly infection-related and doesn't necessarily lead to long-term disease."
Dietician Anjali Bhola from NCI Jhajjar, AIIMS, noted that diets high in sugar, salt, and refined carbs, coupled with erratic sleep and chronic stress, disrupt gut health and raise inflammatory markers. "These factors not only speed up biological ageing but also heighten the risk of non-communicable diseases," she said.
Maj. Gen. Dr Darshan Singh Bhakuni, senior director, rheumatology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, echoed this. "Inflammation in Indigenous groups is typically driven by infections but doesn't worsen with age. This suggests that inflammation may reflect infectious burden more than biological ageing."
"In communities such as the Tsimane and Orang Asli, ongoing exposure to infections keeps inflammation high at all ages," said Dr Setu Gupta, associate consultant, endocrinology & metabolism, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
"But unlike in industrialised societies, this inflammation doesn't increase with age or lead to chronic diseases."
Dr Parjeet Kaur, associate director, endocrinology & diabetes, Medanta, Gurugram, explained that while infectious inflammation is usually acute and short-lived, inflammaging is ongoing and driven by non-infectious factors. "The two involve similar immune pathways, but their triggers and outcomes are different," she said.
So, can inflammaging be prevented? Experts believe it can be managed—and even reversed—with the right lifestyle changes. Dr Bhola advises a high-fibre, high-protein, low-carb diet with limited salt and sugar, 2 to 2.5 litres of water daily, and foods rich in zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, and iron. She also emphasises regular moderate exercise, 7–9 hours of quality sleep, and stress-reduction techniques such as yoga and mindfulness.
The study reinforces a powerful message: ageing itself may not be the main cause of chronic inflammation—how we live might be. Healthier ageing, it seems, begins with rethinking the way we eat, move and rest.
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