Many of the conditions I see in clinic do not begin with symptoms. They begin with low-grade inflammation — silent, persistent, quietly undermining health for years before it ever declares itself.
Over more than two decades practising Integrative Medicine, I have learned that chronic low-grade inflammation is a common denominator behind much of the disease that defines our era. Unlike acute inflammation — useful, protective and short-lived — this kind smoulders. It does not hurt, swell or cause fever. And it is precisely that discretion 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 cannot feel.
The encouraging news is that much of this inflammation responds to what lies within our control: a diet rich in vegetables and fibre, restorative sleep, regular physical activity and stress management. This is not a fashion — it is addressing the cause rather than merely the symptom. That is the heart of the medicine I practise.
Selected references
Furman D, et al. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nature Medicine. 2019;25:1822–1832.
Franceschi C, Campisi J. Chronic inflammation (inflammaging) and its potential contribution to age-associated diseases. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014;69(S1):S4–S9.
Ridker PM, et al. Antiinflammatory therapy with canakinumab for atherosclerotic disease (CANTOS). N Engl J Med. 2017;377:1119–1131.
