Understanding chronic inflammation

The silent driver of aging, and what you can do about it.

THE SILENT SIGNAL OF YOUR BODY

What is chronic inflammation?

Chronic inflammation is a low-grade immune response that doesn’t switch off, even when there’s no infection or injury to fight (1,2).

Short-term inflammation helps your body heal. But when it lingers, it slowly wears down your body’s resilience, damaging tissue and raising the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and kidney disease (3,4).

Think of it like a glass of water. The fuller inflammation makes it, the less room your body has to handle the next health challenge.

suPAR (soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor) is a biomarker of chronic inflammation. It shows how full your glass is (your inflammatory burden over time) and can be used to estimate an inflammation-driven biological age.

KNOW YOUR BASELINE

How old are you really?

Chronic inflammation can make you biologically older than your calendar age. Research links it to:

Faster aging: An older facial appearance and faster cognitive decline (5).
Higher disease risk: Including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer (3).
Harder recoveries: Lower resilience during acute illness, with longer hospital stays and more complications (6,7).
Less independence: Reduced physical resilience as you age (5).

In contrast, low inflammation is consistently associated with longer, healthier lives!

KNOW YOUR BASELINE

The catch

Chronic inflammation can quietly strain your immune system and affect long-term health. Knowing your level gives you the chance to act early.

A hidden threat: Chronic inflammation may show no clear symptoms until conditions like heart disease or diabetes develop.
Preventive insight: Biomarkers like suPAR help reveal inflammation levels so you can make informed lifestyle changes sooner (9).
Personalized action: If your inflammation is elevated, you can track whether changes in diet, stress management, or exercise help lower it.

Every body is different! Knowing your personal baseline gives you the clarity to take actions that truly fit your biology.

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WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Causes of chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation can develop from a variety of lifestyle and environmental factors, including:

Unbalanced diet (processed foods, sugars, unhealthy fats)
Excess body fat (visceral fat around the organs)
Chronic stress and poor sleep
Smoking
Lack of physical activity (a sedentary lifestyle)
Exposure to irritants (such as air pollution, certain chemicals)
Autoimmune disorders and long-lasting infections

INSIGHTS

Small choices, years of difference

Aging & longevity

Chronic inflammation can accelerate biological aging by 5 to 10 years.

Sex

Women tend to have higher chronic inflammation levels than men.

Prevention

Early and regular testing can prevent 80% of inflammation- driven diseases if acted upon.

Diet

A healthy diet can make up to 4 years difference in biological age compared to unhealthy dietary habits.

Physical activity

Regular physical activity can make a difference of almost 5 years in biological age.

Social connections

Loneliness is associated with increased chronic inflammation levels, and thus increased risk of disease development and mortality.

References

Bourassa KJ, Rasmussen LJH, Danese A, Eugen-Olsen J, Harrington H, Houts R, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Sugden K, Williams B, Moffitt TE, Caspi A. Linking stressful life events and chronic inflammation using suPAR (soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor). Brain Behav Immun. 2021 Oct;97:79-88.
Eugen-Olsen J, Andersen O, Linneberg A, Ladelund S, Hansen TW, Langkilde A, Petersen J, Pielak T, Møller LN, Jeppesen J, Lyngbaek S, Fenger M, Olsen MH, Hildebrandt PR, Borch-Johnsen K, Jørgensen T, Haugaard SB. Circulating soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor predicts cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mortality in the general population. J Intern Med. 2010 Sep;268(3):296-308.
Eugen-Olsen J, Ladelund S, Sørensen LT. Plasma suPAR is lowered by smoking cessation: a randomized controlled study. Eur J Clin Invest. 2016 Apr;46(4):305-11.
Haupt TH, Rasmussen LJH, Kallemose T, Ladelund S, Andersen O, Pisinger C, Eugen-Olsen J. Healthy lifestyles reduce suPAR and mortality in a Danish general population study. Immun Ageing. 2019 Jan 22;16:1.
Hayek SS, Sever S, Ko YA, Trachtman H, Awad M, Wadhwani S, Altintas MM, Wei C, Hotton AL, French AL, Sperling LS, Lerakis S, Quyyumi AA, Reiser J. Soluble Urokinase Receptor and Chronic Kidney Disease. N Engl J Med. 2015 Nov 12;373(20):1916-25.
Hindy G, Tyrrell DJ, Vasbinder A, Wei C, Presswalla F, Wang H, Blakely P, Ozel AB, Graham S, Holton GH, Dowsett J, Fahed AC, Amadi KM, Erne GK, Tekmulla A, Ismail A, Launius C, Sotoodehnia N, Pankow JS, Thørner LW, Erikstrup C, Pedersen OB, Banasik K, Brunak S, Ullum H, Eugen-Olsen J, Ostrowski SR; DBDS Consortium; Haas ME, Nielsen JB, Lotta LA; Regeneron Genetics Center; Engström G, Melander O, Orho-Melander M, Zhao L, Murthy VL, Pinsky DJ, Willer CJ, Heckbert SR, Reiser J, Goldstein DR, Desch KC, Hayek SS. Increased soluble urokinase plasminogen activator levels modulate monocyte function to promote atherosclerosis. J Clin Invest. 2022 Dec 15;132(24):e158788.
Persson M, Östling G, Smith G, Hamrefors V, Melander O, Hedblad B, Engström G. Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor: a risk factor for carotid plaque, stroke, and coronary artery disease. Stroke. 2014 Jan;45(1):18-23.
Rasmussen LJH, Caspi A, Ambler A, Danese A, Elliott M, Eugen-Olsen J, Hariri AR, Harrington H, Houts R, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Sugden K, Williams B, Moffitt TE. Association Between Elevated suPAR, a New Biomarker of Inflammation, and Accelerated Aging. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021 Jan 18;76(2):318-327.
Rasmussen LJH, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Danese A, Eugen-Olsen J, Fisher HL, Harrington H, Houts R, Matthews T, Sugden K, Williams B, Caspi A. Association of Adverse Experiences and Exposure to Violence in Childhood and Adolescence With Inflammatory Burden in Young People. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 Jan 1;174(1):38-47.
Rasmussen LJH, Petersen JEV, Eugen-Olsen J. Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) as a Biomarker of Systemic Chronic Inflammation. Front Immunol. 2021 Dec 2;12:780641.
Tavenier J, Rasmussen LJH, Tolstrup J, Petersen J, Sobocki J, Pisinger C, Eugen-Olsen J, Gamst-Jensen H. Self-rated health and chronic inflammation are related and independently associated with hospitalization and long-term mortality in the general population. Sci Rep. 2022 Nov 17;12(1):19761.
Thunø M, Macho B, Eugen-Olsen J. suPAR: the molecular crystal ball. Dis Markers. 2009;27(3):157-72.
Törnkvist PBS, Haupt TH, Rasmussen LJH, Ladelund S, Toft U, Pisinger C, Eugen-Olsen J. Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor is linearly associated with dietary quality and predicts mortality. Br J Nutr. 2019 Mar;121(6):699-708

TAKING CONTROL

Balancing inflammation for a longer, healthier life

Chronic inflammation isn’t inevitable, our daily choices shape it. While genetics and environment play a role, science shows we can influence inflammation through lifestyle, mindset, and proactive health strategies.

Eat with inflammation in mind

– Prioritize anti-inflammatory foods and minimize processed foods.

– A diet rich in whole foods, vegetables, healthy fats, and fiber supports your immune system.

– Emerging research highlights gut microbiome health as critical – fermented foods and prebiotics may lower inflammatory markers.

Move more and wisely

– Regular movement reduces inflammatory biomarkers and boosts immune regulation – even moderate activity (walking, strength training) has measurable benefits (3).

– Pushing too hard, overdoing high-intensity workouts, can temporarily spike inflammation (8), so balance matters.

Prioritize rest and recovery

– Protect your sleep. Sleep deprivation can affect inflammatory biomarkers, but more research is needed. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to prioritize 7 to 9 hours nightly.

– Stress management (mindfulness, nature exposure) likely lowers chronic inflammation and cortisol levels strive to build recovery sessions into your daily routine.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

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