When you look at all of the different approaches for longevity and healthy aging, they all have the same goal: to increase Healthspan, which is the period of life free from major disease or disability.
The common thread underlying virtually all of the chronic diseases that limit both Healthspan and lifespan is inflammation. But it’s not acute inflammation. Rather, it’s chronic inflammation.
And unlike acute inflammation that shows itself with certain hallmarks such as redness, heat, pain, and swelling, chronic inflammation is a more subtle process that can persist for months or years without obvious symptoms.
The Most Prevalent Chronic Diseases
Three of the most prevalent chronic disease processes that are driven by chronic inflammatory processes that start decades before symptoms are experienced are cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to these three conditions, sarcopenia or age-related muscle loss is another inflammatory condition that significantly impacts mobility and independence as we age.
In the conventional medical approach, inflammation is not really a focus for either preventing or treating these diseases despite the overwhelming evidence of underlying inflammatory mechanisms.
So, I want to briefly describe how each of these conditions is really driven by chronic inflammation.
Understanding that chronic inflammation is at the heart of these conditions, causing damage to your body that accumulates silently for decades before symptoms are noticed, can empower you to take steps to identify your risks and remove the root causes for chronic inflammatory processes before they manifest as diagnosable diseases.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Now cardiovascular disease, which continues to be the number one cause of death both in the US and worldwide, really begins with inflammation within the arteries.
Atherosclerosis, a condition that occurs when plaque builds up in the inner lining of arteries, is the major cause of cardiovascular diseases and chronic inflammation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of the disease.
As cholesterol builds up in the artery walls, the immune system reacts as if it’s an invader, leading to inflammation. Immune cells enter the artery wall, releasing chemicals that further inflame the area and contribute to plaque formation. This chronic inflammation can weaken the artery walls, leading to plaque rupture and the formation of blood clots, which can block blood flow and cause heart attacks or strokes.
So, while cholesterol certainly plays a role in that the buildup of cholesterol in arteries can trigger an inflammatory response, it’s the inflammation itself, and the resulting plaque rupture, that leads to blood clots and heart attacks.
Osteoporosis
Chronic inflammation is a significant contributor to osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones and increased fracture risk. Inflammation can disrupt bone remodeling, the process where old bone tissue is removed (resorption) and replaced with new bone tissue (formation) to maintain bone strength.
The bone cells responsible for bone resorption are called osteoclasts, and their activity is increased in a state of chronic inflammation. This leads to a net loss of bone mass, increasing the likelihood of osteoporosis and fractures. Osteoporosis is more common in females, especially after menopause, and estrogen deficiency is the leading cause of hormone-related osteoporosis for postmenopausal women.
Before menopause, estrogen exerts its effects on bone cells by binding to estrogen receptors, which then trigger a cascade of events that promote bone formation and inhibit bone breakdown.
The decrease in estrogen during menopause disrupts bone metabolism, leading to increased bone breakdown, decreased bone formation, and increased inflammation, all of which contribute to the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Cognitive Health
Cognitive health refers to the ability to think, learn, and remember clearly, encompassing functions like memory, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving. Central to cognitive health is neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change and adapt throughout life and includes the capacity for learning and memory.
Chronic brain inflammation, referred to as neuroinflammation, is known to disrupt neuroplasticity, impairing the brain’s ability to adapt and change its structure and function. This disruption can have significant implications for brain health and cognitive function, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
While Alzheimer’s is most commonly associated with the accumulation of abnormal brain proteins called amyloid plaques and tau tangles, neuroinflammation contributes as much or more to the disease process and is directly linked to disruptions in neuroplasticity and cognitive decline.
To summarize, in order to increase Healthspan it’s important to focus on reducing chronic inflammation and supporting the ABCs of health aging, which are arteries, bones and cognition.
Along with reducing inflammation, maintaining proper alignment and movement patterns through techniques like the Triple S Method can significantly improve posture, mobility, and overall longevity potential. For more detail check out the 3-webinar series Longevity and Healthy Aging.
