Chronic Inflammation Correlates with White Matter Damage in the Aging Brain

Here researchers add more evidence to the existing stack of studies linking inflammation to the pace of neurodegeneration, with a focus on white matter damage in the brain in this case. Like raised blood pressure, inflammation is a mediating mechanism that transforms the low-level molecular damage at the root of aging into high-level organ dysfunction and structural damage throughout the body. Chronic inflammation is one of the major reasons why excess visceral fat tissue and exposure to particulates such as smoke are so harmful to long term health. Even the healthy and trim amongst us are faced with the steady rise of inflammation with age, driven by processes such as the accumulation of senescent cells and their inflammatory signals, and the progressive dysfunction of the immune system that is known as inflammaging. The more that can be done to keep chronic inflammation at bay, the better off we are. "We found that individuals who had an increase in inflammation during midlife that was maintained from mid to late life have greater abnormalities in the brain's white matter structure, as measured with MRI scans. This suggests to us that inflammation may have to be chronic, rather than temporary, to have an adverse effect on important aspects of the brain's structure necessary for cognitive function." Researchers have long gathered evidence that chronic inflammation and the biochemicals associated with it may damage the brain. C-reactive protein, an inflammatory facto...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs