Inflammatory age and its impact on age-related health in older Chinese adults

Abstract

Introduction: A standardized measure for inflammaging is lacking. We introduced the inflammatory age (iAge) as a quantification method and explored its associations with age-related traits and diseases in an older Chinese cohort. Methods: Inflammatory markers including white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, C-reactive protein, platelets and albumin were measured. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure telomere length. Traditional multivariable linear, partial least squares, and logistic regression were used. Results: iAge was constructed based on WBC, neutrophils, monocytes and albumin, which were associated with telomere length independently. A higher iAge indicated a heavier aging-related inflammation burden. Per 1-year increase in iAge was associated with higher body mass index (β 0.86 (95 % CI 0.67, 1.05) kg/m2), waist circumference (β 2.37 (95 % CI 1.85, 2.90) cm), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (β 0.06 (95 % CI 0.02, 0.10) %), systolic blood pressure (β 1.06 (95 % CI 0.10, 2.03) mmHg), triglycerides (β 0.05 (95 % CI 0.01, 0.08) mmol/L), 10-year cardiovascular diseases risk (β 0.05 (95 % CI 0.02, 0.08) %), diabetes (OR 1.22 (95 % CI 1.02, 1.46)), hypertension (OR 1.21 (95 % CI 1.04, 1.42)) and metabolic syndrome risks (OR 1.25 (95 % CI 1.04, 1.51)), and lower fasting plasma glucose (β −0.016 (95 % CI −0.024, −0.007) mmol/L), total cholesterol (β −0.06 (95 % CI −0.12, −0.01) mmol/L) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (β −0.05 (95 % CI −0.07, −0.03) mmol/L). Conclusion: The newly introduced iAge, derived from inflammatory markers and telomere length, aligns with various metabolic dysfunctions and age-related disease risks, underscoring its potential ability in identifying aging-related phenotypes.