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

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 ( beta 0.86 (95 % CI 0.67, 1.05) kg/m 2 ), waist circumference ( beta 2.37 (95 % CI 1.85, 2.90) cm), glycosylated hemoglobin A 1c ( beta 0.06 (95 % CI 0.02, 0.10) %), systolic blood pressure ( beta 1.06 (95 % CI 0.10, 2.03) mmHg), triglycerides ( beta 0.05 (95 % CI 0.01, 0.08) mmol/L), 10 -year cardiovascular diseases risk ( beta 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 ( beta -0.016 (95 % CI -0.024, -0.007) mmol/L), total cholesterol ( beta -0.06 (95 % CI -0.12, -0.01) mmol/L) and high -density lipoprotein cholesterol ( beta -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.