An Inflammation Marker Correlates Well With Mortality Rates
Here is one of many clear signs to show that chronic inflammation is something to be avoided: "Inflammation, oxidative damage, and platelet activation are hypothesized biological mechanisms driving the disablement process. The aim of the present study is to assess whether biomarkers representing these mechanisms predicted major adverse health-related events in older persons. ... Data are from 2,234 community-dwelling nondisabled older persons enrolled in the Health Aging and Body Composition study. Biomarkers of lipid peroxidation, platelet activation, and inflammation (serum concentrations of interleukin-6) were considered as independent variables of interest and tested in Cox proportional hazard models as predictors of (severe) mobility disability and overall mortality. ... The sample's (women 48.0%, whites 64.3%) mean age was 74.6 (SD 2.9) years. During the follow-up (median 11.4 years), 792 (35.5%), 269 (12.0%), and 942 (42.2%) events of mobility disability, severe mobility disability, and mortality occurred, respectively. ... Only interleukin-6 showed significant independent associations with the onset of all the study outcomes. ... The inflammatory marker interleukin-6 is confirmed to be a robust predictor for the onset of negative health-related events."