Inflammaging

Inflamm­a­ging com­bi­nes the words inflamm­a­ti­on and age­ing and descri­bes a chro­nic, low-gra­de inflamm­a­ti­on that increa­ses with age. It usual­ly cau­ses no noti­ceable sym­ptoms, which is why it is also cal­led silent inflamm­a­ti­on. Age­ing rese­arch regards it as a dri­ver of many age-rela­ted diseases.

Appli­ca­ti­on

Con­tri­bu­ting fac­tors include sene­s­cent cells that release pro-inflamm­a­to­ry mes­sen­gers, chan­ges in the immu­ne sys­tem, excess weight and lack of exer­cise. In the skin, UV radia­ti­on, pol­lut­ants and an impai­red skin bar­ri­er add to ongo­ing inflamm­a­to­ry sti­mu­li. The­se pro­mo­te the break­down of col­la­gen and thus wrink­les and loss of elasticity.

Good to know

Inflamm­a­ging is an expl­ana­to­ry model, not a dia­gno­sis in its own right. No sin­gle labo­ra­to­ry value relia­bly reflects it. A life­style that keeps inflamm­a­ti­on low, sun pro­tec­tion and bar­ri­er-sup­port­ing skin­ca­re are con­side­red sen­si­ble; spe­ci­fic tre­at­ments tar­ge­ting inflamm­a­ging have litt­le evi­dence in humans so far.

Matching tre­at­ment at Swiss Der­ma Cli­nic: Skin lon­ge­vi­ty (pre­ven­ti­on)