Out-of-Control Inflammation is a Cause of Most Chronic Diseases
The top three killers today are heart attack, cancer, and stroke. Out-of-control
chronic inflammation plays a significant role in the development of each of these
serious diseases, as well as arthritis.
Age, genetic flaws and poor health (smoking, obesity, poor diet, etc) can cause the
body to lose its ability to turn off inflammatory reactions, making inflammation
chronic and deadly. Chronic inflammation results in an autoimmune imbalance where
the body's immune system constantly attacks the arteries, brain cells, joint cartilage
and every organ system, wreaking constant havoc throughout the body.
Culprit Behind Heart Disease and Cancer - Elevated CRP
The best indicator of out-of-control inflammation is elevated C-reactive protein
(CRP) level. High blood levels of CRP indicate an increased risk for atherosclerotic
plaque deposits, which can burst and block blood flow through a coronary artery resulting
in an acute heart attack.
Those with elevated CRP also have a two to three times greater risk of stroke. In
people who have already suffered a major stroke, higher levels of CRP predict a much
greater likelihood of suffering another stroke, heart attack, or dying within one
year. Curbing inflammation helps prevent heart disease.
People with high levels of CRP in their blood also have an increased risk for certain
types of cancer. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA) showed people the highest blood levels of CRP were about three times as likely
to contract colon cancer as those with the lowest ranges. A second study showed that
chronic inflammation may increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Chronic Inflammation Destroys Brain Cells
Chronic inflammatory reactions literally chew up brain cells, resulting in markedly
higher rates of dementia. Studies show that age-related dementias may be prevented if
chronic inflammation is kept in check. In a study of 1,050 men, those with elevated
CRP were three times more likely to contract Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia.
Doctors discovered high level inflammation is measurable long before symptoms appear.
Inflammation Increases Macular Degeneration Risk
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over age 55 and
currently affects more than 10 million Americans. The disease occurs when the central
portion of the retina (the macula) deteriorates, resulting in impaired vision or
blindness. The American Medical Association published a study indicating that systemic
inflammation increases the risk of macular degeneration.
Inflammation A Predictor of Type II Diabetes
People with high levels of CRP are significantly more likely to develop diabetes.
In the Women's Health Study, women with higher levels of CRP were 15.7 times more likely
to become diabetic. Other diabetic risk factors (obesity, synthetic estrogen therapy,
smoking, etc) all sharply increase inflammatory markers in the blood.
Frailty in Elderly Linked to Inflammation
Ina study of nearly 5,000 elderly people, scientists discovered that frail seniors
were more likely to have signs of increased inflammation than their more active counterparts.
The frail seniors also tended to showed more clotting activity, muscle weakness, fatigue
and disability than active elderly people. Scientific evidence suggests that reversing
chronic inflammation will help pervent or reverse many of the infirmities of aging.
Inflammatory Markers Predict Death Risk
Reasearch has firmly established that high levels of CRP and other inflammatory markers
indicate significantly greater risks of contracting specific diseases such as heart
attack, stroke and Alzheimers disease.
Doctors took a sample of 1,293 healthy elderly people and followed them for 4.6 years.
Higher CRP levels were associated with twice the risk of death.
Causes of Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation increases in response to normal aging. This contributes to the progression
of many degenerative diseases. As an example, rheumatoid arthritis is a classic autoimmune
disorder in which inflammation is either a contributor or the cause.
Chronic inflammation is an underlying cause of many seemingly unrelated age-related
diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, heart failure, digestive system diseases and
Your Nutritional Defense Against Chronic Inflammation
Systemic enzymes are essential to maintaining a healthy body and an active lifestyle.
Your body uses systemic enzymes to balance inflammation response and fine-tune repairs
to help you recover from injury and disease.
But your body's supply of systemic enzymes depletes with age. Fortunately
there is a way to replenish your supply of these life-supporting enzymes: with the
naturally occuring systemic enzymes in ALTRUM's Longevity
Enzymes. They can provide your nutritional defense against inflammation and aging.