What is inflammaging?

Inflammaging refers to the chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation that develops with age, distinct from the acute inflammation the body uses to respond to injury or infection. It is considered one of the central drivers of age-related disease and is linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, frailty, and reduced healthspan.

What is a normal CRP level for longevity?

High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) levels are generally categorized as low risk (under 1.0 mg/L), average risk (1.0 to 3.0 mg/L), and high risk (above 3.0 mg/L) for cardiovascular outcomes, though exact reference ranges and clinical significance should be interpreted by a healthcare professional in the context of your overall health.

Can you reduce chronic inflammation naturally?

Research supports several lifestyle approaches to reducing chronic inflammation, including regular exercise, adequate sleep, weight management, a diet rich in whole foods and fiber and lower in ultra-processed foods, and stress management. These changes typically take sustained effort over weeks to months to produce measurable changes in inflammatory biomarkers.

What inflammatory markers matter most for aging?

C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are the two most frequently studied inflammatory biomarkers in aging research, both consistently associated with frailty, disability, cardiovascular risk, and mortality in long-term cohort studies. TNF-alpha and fibrinogen are also commonly included in research and some clinical panels.

Biomarkers

Inflammation Markers and Healthspan

How chronic low-grade inflammation drives aging, and what the key inflammatory biomarkers can tell you.

Updated July 9, 2026

Chronic, low-grade inflammation is one of the most consistently implicated processes in aging biology, to the point that researchers coined the term inflammaging to describe it. Unlike acute inflammation, which is a healthy, short-term immune response to injury or infection, inflammaging is a persistent, low-level inflammatory state that develops with age and contributes to nearly every major age-related disease.

The Key Inflammatory Biomarkers

C-reactive protein (CRP): produced by the liver in response to inflammation. High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) testing is widely used in cardiovascular risk assessment, with elevated levels associated with higher risk of heart disease and mortality.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6): a signaling protein involved in both acute and chronic inflammation. Elevated IL-6 is one of the more consistently replicated predictors of frailty, disability, and mortality in aging research.
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha): another inflammatory signaling protein linked to insulin resistance, muscle wasting, and cardiovascular risk when chronically elevated.
Fibrinogen: a clotting protein that rises with inflammation and is independently associated with cardiovascular risk.
Homocysteine: not a direct inflammatory marker, but frequently included in aging-related panels as elevated levels are associated with vascular and cognitive risk.

Why Chronic Inflammation Accelerates Aging

Persistent low-grade inflammation contributes to several of the hallmarks of aging directly. It promotes cellular senescence, in which senescent cells themselves release inflammatory signals that further fuel the cycle (a phenomenon called the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, or SASP). It also contributes to insulin resistance, accelerates muscle loss, damages blood vessel walls, and is implicated in age-related cognitive decline.

What Drives Chronic Inflammation

Excess visceral (abdominal) fat, which is metabolically active and secretes inflammatory signaling molecules.
Chronic stress and poor sleep, both of which are associated with elevated inflammatory markers.
Poor diet quality, particularly diets high in refined sugar and processed foods and low in fiber.
Sedentary behavior, independent of body weight.
Underlying chronic conditions, gum disease, and gut dysbiosis, all of which can contribute low-grade inflammatory signals.

Lowering Inflammatory Markers

The interventions with the strongest evidence for reducing chronic inflammation overlap heavily with the general longevity interventions covered elsewhere on this site: regular exercise (both strength training and cardiovascular work), adequate and consistent sleep, a diet emphasizing whole foods and fiber over ultra-processed foods, weight management, and stress reduction. These are not quick fixes; meaningful changes in inflammatory markers generally take weeks to months of sustained behavior change.

Important Caveat

Inflammatory markers can be elevated for many reasons, including acute illness, injury, and infection, not just chronic aging-related processes. A single elevated result is not a diagnosis. Interpretation of inflammatory biomarkers should be done with a qualified healthcare professional who can account for your full clinical picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is inflammaging?: Inflammaging refers to the chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation that develops with age, distinct from the acute inflammation the body uses to respond to injury or infection. It is considered one of the central drivers of age-related disease and is linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, frailty, and reduced healthspan.
What is a normal CRP level for longevity?: High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) levels are generally categorized as low risk (under 1.0 mg/L), average risk (1.0 to 3.0 mg/L), and high risk (above 3.0 mg/L) for cardiovascular outcomes, though exact reference ranges and clinical significance should be interpreted by a healthcare professional in the context of your overall health.
Can you reduce chronic inflammation naturally?: Research supports several lifestyle approaches to reducing chronic inflammation, including regular exercise, adequate sleep, weight management, a diet rich in whole foods and fiber and lower in ultra-processed foods, and stress management. These changes typically take sustained effort over weeks to months to produce measurable changes in inflammatory biomarkers.
What inflammatory markers matter most for aging?: C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are the two most frequently studied inflammatory biomarkers in aging research, both consistently associated with frailty, disability, cardiovascular risk, and mortality in long-term cohort studies. TNF-alpha and fibrinogen are also commonly included in research and some clinical panels.