Inflammation in aging processes: an integrative and ecological perspective at Rand.org, Caleb E Finch,
Davis school of Gerontology and Dept Biological Sciences USC College
University of Southern California, 3/19/2010
Introduction:
" This review surveys inflammation during aging and chronic disease in an integrative and ecological perspective that emphasizes generalizable changes, interactions of inflammation with oxidative damage, and environmental influences. Inflammation may be considered a core process of human aging because of its involvement in baseline aging and in the major
degenerative diseases of later life, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and cancer. Blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6, and other proinflammatory cytokines are risk indicators of
cardiovascular events and mortality. Even in the absence of specific pathological lesions, inflammatory gene expression increases during aging in humans and animal models, in
mammals and in several invertebrate models. Nonetheless, inflammatory mediators are essential to normal function and health, as illustrated by the importance of IL-6 secretion to normal metabolic activities, e.g. IL-6 is released by skeletal muscle in proportion to exercise intensity, while IL-6 also regulates insulin sensitivity of adipocytes (Finch 2007, p. 58).
Many inflammatory changes are highly plastic and influenced by nutrition and physical activity. Inflammation may prove central to therapeutic interventions for specific diseases as
well as to general anti-aging strategies. Moreover, the global spread of obesity and the increasing inflammatory load from polluted air and water may be a limiting factor in future increases in life expectancy. This integrative perspective on inflammation in aging considers all levels of function and causality, from the atomic to cellular to environmental. A leading question is the role of endogenous vs extrinsic factors in the perpetuation of chronic elevations of acute phase
innate immune responses. Outlining these broad domains and links in a concise review necessarily precludes in depth review of most topics and neglects mention of a great amount of excellent relevant science.
