Is chronic inflammation universal as we age, or is it a modern lifestyle issue? For decades, scientists have linked ageing with "inflammaging," a low-grade chronic inflammation believed to drive diseases like heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. However, a new study published in Nature Aging challenges this long-standing view. By comparing populations from both industrialised and traditional societies, researchers found that inflammation does not necessarily increase with age in all groups. This challenges the belief that chronic inflammation is an inevitable part of ageing and points to lifestyle choices as a key factor in age-related disease risk.

Inflammaging may not be universal: What new research reveals about ageing and lifestyle

The study examined inflammation patterns in more than 2,800 individuals across four distinct communities. Two of these groups, older adults from Italy and Singapore, represented typical industrialised societies. The other two were Indigenous populations with more traditional lifestyles: the Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon and the Orang Asli of Malaysia.

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Researchers focused on a group of signalling proteins called cytokines, which are key indicators of immune activity and inflammation. Previous studies have shown that certain inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and tumour necrosis factor, increase with age and correlate with chronic disease risk. The goal was to see whether this pattern held true across different populations.

The findings were revealing. Among the Italian and Singaporean participants, the researchers observed a consistent inflammaging pattern. As age increased, so did levels of inflammatory markers, which were strongly linked to a higher risk of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular and kidney disease.

In contrast, among the Tsimane and Orang Asli, this pattern was absent. Despite facing high exposure to infections and elevated inflammatory markers due to their environment, these communities showed no consistent age-related rise in inflammation and reported very low rates of the chronic diseases common in industrialised nations.

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These results suggest that inflammaging may not be a universal feature of human ageing, but rather a phenomenon tied to specific lifestyle and environmental conditions. In modern societies, factors such as sedentary behaviour, processed diets, and limited exposure to pathogens may contribute to a persistent, low-grade immune response that becomes harmful over time.

In contrast, traditional communities, who remain physically active, consume natural diets, and are exposed to a broader range of infections, may have immune systems that operate differently. In these settings, elevated inflammation may reflect normal immune activity rather than underlying disease.

It’s also possible that inflammaging does occur across all humans but manifests in ways not detectable through current blood-based markers. Inflammation might be taking place at the tissue or cellular level, beyond the reach of standard diagnostic tools.

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If confirmed, these findings could reshape our understanding of ageing and influence how we diagnose and manage age-related inflammation. Current diagnostic tools, based on data from European and Asian populations, may not be universally applicable. What signals disease in one population might be normal in another.

This also raises important considerations for treatment strategies. Interventions like anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise regimes, or specialised diets may yield varying results depending on cultural, genetic, and environmental backgrounds. A one-size-fits-all approach to managing inflammation in ageing may not be effective globally. Furthermore, the study highlights a broader issue in medical research: much of what we know about human health is based on data from wealthy, industrialised nations. Applying these findings globally can lead to oversimplified or inaccurate conclusions. The researchers emphasise the need for more diverse, inclusive studies that reflect the full range of human experiences and environments.

This research offers a powerful reminder that biology does not operate in isolation from lifestyle and environment. What we have long accepted as an inevitable part of ageing might actually be a consequence of how we live. As the researchers note, this is just the beginning. Further studies are needed to explore inflammation at the cellular level and to broaden the diversity of populations included in ageing research.

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