#1

Inflammation May Be the Root of Our Maladies

There’s also increasing evidence that inflammation affects dementia and, more broadly, aging itself. Our cells have pathways that they use to regenerate and repair themselves, and inflammation activates programs in the cells and tissues that take away that ability. Perhaps, some scientists wonder, if inflammation accelerates aging, drugs that can tamp down inflammation, including GLP-1s, can slow cognitive decline and shift the course of aging.
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But currently there is no public health recommendation in the United States for primary care practitioners to measure markers of inflammation in all adults. Perhaps that will change. New research from Dr. Ridker and his team shows that a one-time measurement of a particular marker of inflammation may help predict the rate of stroke, heart attack and death from heart disease in women over the coming decades.

The referenced paper:

Inflammation, Cholesterol, Lipoprotein(a), and 30-Year Cardiovascular Outcomes in Women

CONCLUSIONS

A single combined measure of high-sensitivity CRP, LDL cholesterol, and lipoprotein(a) levels among initially healthy U.S. women was predictive of incident cardiovascular events during a 30-year period. These data support efforts to extend strategies for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic events beyond traditional 10-year estimates of risk. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health; Women’s Health Study ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00000479.)

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#2

The problem with measurements of CRP is that you need to take multiple measurements to find what the underlying rate is.

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#3

Mine are fairly constant in six-month intervals. 0.27, 0.18 and 0.21 the last three times, IIRC.

#4
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#6

That’s pretty low, right? Mine just tested @ 1.16mg/L, which is within the average range, albeit on the low side.

#7

Mine stabilises when not infected below the minimum threshold measurement of 0.15mg/L.

There are I think 3 other members of this forum with a baseline CRP below 0.15mg/L.

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#8

That’s why I am going to combine my unhealthy diet with 5 mg Crestor and a Multivitamin to start with.

The Warren Buffet Longevity Protocol.

I want Four MG’s of Crestor with that Order Please.

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Yes that’s right. Four MG. Yes you can sprinkle some Jardiance on top! But hold on the Acarbose…

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#9

You’re absolutely right that inflammation is now recognized as a major upstream driver of aging — not just heart disease, but also brain aging, metabolic issues, and more.

I wanted to add: while hs-CRP is a valuable tool, it’s not the whole picture.

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CRP reflects downstream inflammation and can miss early, tissue-specific changes that matter for longevity and cognitive health.

IL-6 (Interleukin-6) acts upstream of CRP and plays a direct role in early brain inflammation, visceral fat dysfunction, and vascular aging.

In fact, research shows that elevated IL-6 levels are linked to a 42% greater risk of cognitive decline over 2–7 years — even after adjusting for other health factors. Higher IL-6 is also associated with reduced brain volume, poorer cognitive performance, and early breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.

Higher IL-6 levels associated with increased risk of global cognitive decline:

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IL-6 levels can be elevated even when CRP is perfectly normal—and this early rise has been shown in major studies to predict cardiovascular events and neurodegeneration independently of CRP levels.

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Unlike CRP, IL-6 operates inside the brain as well as peripherally, giving a more precise early signal when brain or metabolic health might be at risk.

I wrote a deep dive explaining how IL-6 differs from CRP, how it influences brain health and longevity risk, and why testing IL-6 may reveal earlier signs of inflammatory stress.

Here if helpful: Interleukin-6 and Longevity: The Missing Signal Behind Aging and Brain Health

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