Ageing Isn’t the Same Everywhere: How Inflammation May Be a Lifestyle Problem
For years, scientists have believed that inflammation inevitably increases with age, quietly fuelling diseases like heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. However, a groundbreaking new study of Indigenous populations challenges this idea and could potentially reshape how we think about ageing itself.
Chronic low-level inflammation, known as “inflammaging,” has long been identified as one of the primary drivers of age-related diseases. This condition is characterized by the body’s immune system being stuck in overdrive, constantly fighting battles that don’t exist and gradually wearing down organs and systems.
But the latest research published in Nature Aging suggests that inflammaging might not be a universal feature of ageing after all. Instead, it could be a byproduct of the way we live in modern society.
The study compared patterns of inflammation in four distinct communities around the world. Two groups were from modern, industrialized societies – older adults living in Italy and Singapore. The other two were Indigenous communities living more traditional lifestyles: the Tsimane people of the Bolivian Amazon and the Orang Asli in the forests of Malaysia.
Blood samples from over 2,800 individuals were analyzed, focusing on a wide range of inflammatory molecules called cytokines. The goal was to determine whether the pattern of inflammation seen in earlier studies, where certain markers rise with age and are linked to disease, also appears in other parts of the world.
The results were surprising. Among the Italian and Singaporean participants, a consistent pattern of inflammaging was observed. As individuals aged, levels of inflammatory markers in the blood rose, and higher levels were associated with a greater risk of chronic diseases.
In contrast, the Tsimane and Orang Asli populations did not exhibit the same inflammaging pattern. Inflammation levels did not rise consistently with age in these groups, and they were not strongly linked to age-related diseases.
Interestingly, despite elevated inflammation levels among the Tsimane, who face high rates of infections, they experience very low rates of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.
These findings raise important questions about the universality of inflammaging. It suggests that chronic inflammation linked to ageing and disease may not be a biological inevitability but rather a result of the mismatch between our ancient physiology and the modern environment.
The study highlights the need for more inclusive research that considers the full range of human experiences and challenges the assumptions derived from studies conducted in wealthy, industrialized nations.
In conclusion, what was once thought to be a universal truth about the biology of ageing may instead be a local story shaped by our environment, lifestyle, and way of life.
This article was originally published on The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons license.
