18th Century Diary

—

by

Thomas Coady
in

Aging is an inevitable process, but inflammation significantly accelerates it. By reducing inflammation, you can slow down the aging process. This discussion will explore tests that measure inflammation levels in the body.

Inflammation not only speeds up aging but is also a primary cause of chronic diseases prevalent in modern society, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. Recent studies also link chronic systemic inflammation to mental health issues.

Lowering inflammation can:

  • Slow down aging
  • Reduce the risk of chronic diseases
  • Improve mental health

How to Measure Inflammation

There are five key biomarkers to assess inflammation:

  1. C-Reactive Protein (CRP): Produced by the liver, CRP levels rise with inflammation. Normal levels are below 2.0 mg/L, but ideally, they should be under 1.0 mg/L. Levels of 8.0 mg/L or more indicate a high risk for chronic diseases.
  2. Homocysteine: An amino acid that, when elevated, increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, and stroke due to insufficient cysteine levels. Normal levels are 5–15 μmol/L, with ideal levels between 5–7.2 μmol/L.
  3. Fasting Insulin: Indicates metabolic health and indirectly inflammation. Normal levels are 2.6 – 24.9 µIU/mL, but ideally should be less than 10 µIU/mL, and optimally under 5 µIU/mL.
  4. Vitamin D: A steroid hormone that regulates inflammation. Normal levels are 30-100 ng/mL, but ideally, they should be over 50 ng/mL, with optimal levels in the 70s or 80s.
  5. Omega-3 Index Plus: Measures fatty acid levels in the blood. An index of 8% or higher is ideal, but many people are at 4% or below, indicating high risk.

Additionally, routine blood work can reveal other indicators of inflammation, such as high triglycerides, low HDL, elevated fasting blood sugar, and high A1c levels.

Reducing inflammation involves avoiding pro-inflammatory habits and foods, which will be discussed further.

Citations:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6146930/
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-023-01502-8
[3] https://immunityageing.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12979-023-00352-w
[4] https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2023/07/24/inflammation-discovery-could-slow-aging-prevent-age-related-diseases/
[5] https://www.lifespan.org/lifespan-living/inflammaging-what-you-should-know-about-inflammation-and-aging