If you meet old friends or have a mini reunion with your old peers, it’s unsurprising if conversations find their way to experiences about doctor’s visits, comparing medicines, and discussing health conditions. But it’s not really surprising: more than 90% of adults ages 65 and older have at least one chronic condition.

Inflammaging or inflamm-aging is a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation that affects the whole body that typically develops without noticeable symptoms. It’s characterized with higher circulating inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, which also rise in conditions such as obesity, arthritis, and infections.

While acute inflammation—fever, pain, redness, swelling—is a normal defense response that activates when you’re fighting a cold or healing a cut, inflammaging persists even when there’s no infection or injury.

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Inflammaging develops as our cells and immune system get older. With age, some cells turn “senescent”. They stop dividing but won’t die off like they should. Instead, they hang around, pile up, and release waste and inflammatory chemicals. 

Normally, the immune system clears these cells out, but as we get older, it becomes less efficient. So these senescent cells stick around and keep the body in a constant, low-grade inflammatory state, even when there’s no real threat. 

At the same time, some immune cells become overstimulated and start contributing to this background inflammation. And worse, chronic inflammation accelerates senescence, putting the body in a vicious cycle of worsening inflammation. 

Aging also tends to increase visceral fat, the deeper fat around our organs. This type doesn't just sit there—it releases its own pro-inflammatory signals, which further raises inflammation levels.

And then there’s oxidative stress from everyday life. Pollution, heavily processed foods, chronic stress, obesity, and smoking all create extra cellular damage. Over time, that damage drives even more inflammation.

Cells and pathways that normally help with healing can, under chronic inflammation, start injuring healthy tissues, damaging DNA, and setting the stage for disease.

Aside from fueling more inflammation, chronic inflammation also gets in the way of normal cell repair. It prevents the body from properly replacing damaged or dysfunctional cells and can harm DNA, increasing the chance of mutations. When immune cells stay on high alert, they start damaging healthy tissues too — narrowing airways, wearing down joint surfaces, and thickening blood vessel walls.

Once blood vessels are affected, oxygen delivery drops, leading to slow, quiet damage in organs throughout the body. Over time, this persistent inflammation becomes a common “background driver” that raises the risk of disease across multiple organ systems.

Chronic inflammatory conditions like stroke, chronic respiratory diseases like COPD, obesity, heart problems, and diabetes are recognized as the most significant cause of death in the world today, responsible for more than more than half of all global deaths.

While we can’t stop aging, we can lower our risk of age-related diseases by building habits that keep inflammation in check:

Researchers are also testing drugs that clear out senescent cells, though these senolytics are still experimental. 

Scientists are also revisiting familiar medications for their anti-inflammatory benefits. Methotrexate, for instance, is being studied beyond arthritis, and drugs like GLP-1 agonists (Ozempic), statins, and metformin are showing promise for lowering inflammation and supporting healthier aging.

Inflammaging is a natural part of growing older, but it doesn’t have to dictate your health. Small, consistent habits  like daily walks and adding more greens to your plate can help dial down chronic inflammation and let you age with fewer of the burdens it brings.