The study published in Nature Medicine identifies certain social, environmental, and lifestyle factors that contribute to systemic chronic inflammation, which when taken together are the main cause of disability and mortality around the globe.
Franceschi insists that lifestyle, effects of stressors, history of vaccination, along with social and cultural characteristics of each individual beginning at the first days of life into adulthood should be determined in as much detail as possible and taken into account as a tool in research of the aging processes to establish the trajectory of human aging.
The mechanisms of chronic inflammation are being adopted by a number of scientists, research into chronic inflammation continues as there is a way to go before scientists fully understand the role of chronic inflammation in aging and mortality to be able to more accurately predict changes in one’s health through their lifespan.
Franceschi’s years of work have resulted in the theory of inflamm-aging, in which aging is a general inflammation process that involves the entire body and provokes aging related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.
The concept of immune aging enables the characterization of immune functions of an individual and predictions of the causes of mortality more accurately than chronological age. In addition to the known inflammation biomarkers the scientists note that additional biomarkers of the immune system which differ from person to person, in particular the subgroups of T- and B- lymphocytes, monocytes need to be studied more.
Findings may lead to new approaches for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment for diseases associated with systemic chronic inflammation; prevention and treatment of inflammatory processes will slow down aging and prolong life.
The Digital Personalized Medicine for Healthy Aging mega grant project is being implemented at the Lobachevsky University of Nizhny Novgorod at the Center for Healthy Aging and Active Longevity with the goal of making breakthroughs in the search for aging markers, early diagnosis of age related diseases, and achieving active longevity under the guidance of Franceschi.
