Inflammaging: What to know about inflammation as you age

As we age our bodies are more likely to have chronic inflammation which can lead to multiple health issues and concerns. Knowing how to slow and stop inflammation can help support healthy ageing.

Inflammation is one of the body’s natural responses to injury, illness or infection. It protects us from germs and disease and helps us heal and recover.¹

While this type of acute inflammation is good for us, as we age, chronic inflammation can increase our risk of certain conditions. This is what’s been labelled ‘inflammaging’.

“The tricky thing is that this inflammation is often 'silent' and you won't necessarily feel it, but it's quietly doing damage in the background over years or decades,” says Bupa GP Janice Tan.

While we cannot stop the ageing process, we do have some control over how to reduce our risk of chronic inflammation.

Inflammation is one of the body’s natural responses to injury, illness or infection. It protects us from germs and disease and helps us heal and recover.¹

While this type of acute inflammation is good for us, as we age, chronic inflammation can increase our risk of certain conditions. This is what’s been labelled ‘inflammaging’.

“The tricky thing is that this inflammation is often 'silent' and you won't necessarily feel it, but it's quietly doing damage in the background over years or decades,” says Bupa GP Janice Tan.

While we cannot stop the ageing process, we do have some control over how to reduce our risk of chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation occurs when our body signals the immune system that something is wrong, even when it isn’t.

Our body reacts in the same way it would if an injury or germ were putting our health at risk. Inflammatory responses start to damage or attack cells and joints that aren’t dangerous to our health.¹

Chronic inflammation can be triggered in older age by dysfunctional cells or an accumulation of destructive free radicals in the body.²

“Chronic low-grade inflammation is increasingly linked to a whole range of serious health conditions,” says Janice. “Here’s what the research tells us…”

• Heart disease: chronic inflammation damages blood vessel walls and accelerates the build-up of plaque, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Type 2 diabetes: inflammation interferes with how your cells respond to insulin, making it harder to regulate blood sugar.
• Dementia and cognitive decline: ongoing inflammation in the brain is associated with conditions like Alzheimer's disease and it's thought to accelerate the damage to neurons over time.
• Cancer: persistent inflammation creates an environment where abnormal cells can more easily grow and spread. 

Symptoms of chronic inflammation as we age can vary, but it is known to speed up the ageing process and puts us at a greater risk of disease.³

While signs of chronic inflammation can be slow to appear, symptoms can include:¹

• persistent fatigue
• difficulty sleeping
• joint or muscle pain
• mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety
• constipation, diarrhoea or acid reflux
• weight loss or gain
• repeated infections.

Fruit, veg and plant-based foods¹ are high in antioxidants, which help prevent, slow or repair cell damage. This then reduces inflammation.

Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help to regulate our inflammatory responses and can even reduce pain caused by inflammation. Cutting back on sugar, red meat and processed food has also been shown to help reduce inflammatory markers in the body, as does eating fermented foods such as kimchi and kombucha.

“The Mediterranean diet is the most evidence-backed pattern for reducing inflammatory markers,” says Janice.

“Don't smoke. Full stop,” says Janice. “Smoking^4,5 is one of the biggest drivers of chronic systemic inflammation.”

It takes time for the body to repair from the effects of smoking, but improvements start immediately so it’s never too late to stop. If you need help stopping smoking, speak to your GP or pharmacist, or check out the national Give Up for Good program.

Regular physical activity reduces inflammatory markers in the body.

Exercise^6,3 can also help manage weight and reduce visceral fat, a driver of inflammation, and help to reduce stress which also contributes to chronic inflammation.

“Excess body fat, particularly visceral fat around the abdomen, is metabolically active and produces inflammatory chemicals,” says Janice. “Chronic psychological stress elevates cortisol and drives inflammation.”

Australian health guidelines recommend 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous exercise on at least 5 days every week to maintain good overall health.

Alcohol⁷ causes inflammation in the body in several ways.

In addition to weakening the immune system so it can’t regulate inflammation, alcohol can disrupt the gut microbiome and the gut lining. This means that harmful bacteria can trigger inflammation.

These effects can be worse as we age, meaning limiting alcohol intake in later years will help reduce chronic inflammation risks.

If you need help to have a healthier relationship with alcohol, talk to your GP or call the Alcohol and other Drug helpline for free, confidential advice on 1800 250 015.

“Keep up with your health checks,” says Janice. “Conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and blood sugar issues fuel inflammation so managing these proactively matters.” Having a good relationship with your GP as you age can mean earlier detection of any issues, leading to faster treatment and better outcomes.