Inflammation ~ The Fire Inside
Research into the underlying causes of inflammation and its effects on human health has exploded in recent years and much has been discovered and clarified which is giving the medical community a deeper understanding of how inflammation works and how it is connected to many of the deadliest disease of the 21st century. Researchers are discovering that inflammation, the body’s basic response to infection and injury, may be at the root of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
For some time, studies have indicated that there appears to be an association between depression and inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular disease. Until recently, it was difficult to determine whether the inflammation led to the depression or the depression led to the inflammatory state.
A recent study has clarified the issue somewhat by demonstrating that depression may actually precede certain inflammatory processes that may directly impact cardiovascular health.
Cross-sectional studies have found that individuals with depressive disorders or symptoms have elevated levels of inflammatory markers predictive of coronary artery disease, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
The present findings indicate that depressive symptoms may precede and augment some inflammatory processes relevant to coronary artery disease among healthy, older adults. Therefore, the results imply that depression may lead to inflammation and that inflammation may be one of the mechanisms through which depression contributes to cardiovascular risk.
In the future I will be discussing supplements and herbs to combat inflammation ~ stay tuned.
* Thanks to DFH for this Friday’s Facts.