Silent inflammation: the invisible root of chronic disease

Many of the diseases I see in clinic do not begin with symptoms. They begin with low-grade inflammation, silent, persistent, and undermining health for years before manifesting.

Over more than two decades of practising Integrative Medicine, I have learned that chronic low-grade inflammation is a common denominator of much of the disease that defines our time. Unlike acute inflammation (useful, protective and transient), this burns on a slow flame. It does not hurt, does not swell, does not cause fever. And it is precisely that description that makes it dangerous.

Research has gathered this phenomenon under the concept of inflammaging: a persistent inflammatory state that accompanies ageing and is implicated in atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, neurodegeneration and several cancers. Markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 help us make visible what the patient does not feel.

The good news is that much of this inflammation responds to what is within our control: a diet rich in vegetables and fibre, restorative sleep, regular physical activity and stress management. This is not about trends: it is about acting on the cause, not just the symptom. That is the heart of the medicine I practise.