A recent study led by the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions has unveiled a concerning connection between chronic inflammation, poverty, and an increased risk of death from heart disease and cancer.
This study, significant for its vast scope, analyzed data representing 95 million Americans aged 40 and over.
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, found that when chronic inflammation—a known risk factor for various diseases—coexists with poverty, the combined effect on mortality risk is more than just additive; it’s synergistic.
This means that the risk increase is greater than if the individual effects of chronic inflammation and poverty were simply added together.
Lead author Arch Mainous III, Ph.D., from the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, noted, “We know that chronic inflammation can lead to disease.
Our study investigated how this intersects with poverty, which also tends to elevate inflammation levels, often due to chronic stress.”
The findings were stark: individuals facing both poverty and high inflammation levels were significantly more likely to die within the next 15 years.
While acute inflammation is a normal part of the body’s defense against infection or injury, chronic inflammation persists over long periods and is linked to various health conditions like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease.
Another study by Mainous indicates that nearly 35% of U.S. adults suffer from systemic inflammation.
Various factors, including poor diet, stress, physical inactivity, smoking, aging, obesity, autoimmune disorders, and environmental toxins, can cause chronic inflammation.
The UF study underscores the urgent need for routine screenings for chronic inflammation, particularly in vulnerable populations.
Despite extensive research on chronic inflammation and its health impacts over the past 25 years, Mainous points out a significant gap: the absence of clinical guidelines for its screening.
He argues for the translation of existing knowledge into practical medical guidance, enabling physicians to identify and address the root causes of chronic inflammation in their patients.
Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, focusing on adults over 40 living below the poverty line with elevated C-reactive protein levels, a marker of chronic inflammation.
They linked these records to the National Death Index to track mortality over 15 years.
The results were alarming: individuals experiencing both chronic inflammation and poverty had a 127% increased risk of dying from heart disease and a nearly 200% increased risk of dying from cancer.
Those with either chronic inflammation or poverty (but not both) faced about a 50% increase in mortality risk over the same period.
Mainous’s call to action is clear: “It’s time to move from documenting health problems caused by inflammation to actively solving these issues.”
This study not only sheds light on a critical public health issue but also calls for proactive measures in healthcare practices to mitigate these heightened risks.
The research findings can be found in Frontiers in Medicine.
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