Inflammation and healthy ageing
Chronic inflammation.Clearer answers.
Chronic inflammation is a lasting immune response that can occur in different illnesses and alongside long-term health risks. It is not a diagnosis you can make from tiredness, a food list or one blood test. The useful next step is to understand the cause and address risks that matter to your health. [1] [2]
For urgent medical help, contact NHS 111. Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency. This guide is for routine information, not emergency care. NHS urgent-care guidance.
See what the evidence supports
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When does inflammation become a problem?
Inflammation is part of how the immune system responds to harm. A short-lived response helps with injury and infection. A response that persists can contribute to illness. Furman and colleagues describe how infection, immune disease and social, environmental and lifestyle factors can contribute to long-term inflammation. These causes need different kinds of care. [1]
Acute inflammation
A response to a current injury or infection. The process can be protective, although the underlying problem may still need treatment.
Chronic inflammation
A response that persists. It may be part of a diagnosed condition or linked with broader health risks. Finding the context matters more than applying the label. [1]
The term “inflammageing” describes links between ageing and persistent, low-level inflammation. It is a research concept, not a personal diagnosis or proof of how quickly you are ageing. A process in the body may help explain disease. It does not tell us which test or treatment will help each person. [1]
A link between two things does not mean that one caused the other. People with an illness may have higher blood markers. That does not mean the marker caused their illness. Nor does it show that lowering that marker will remove the problem. Claims about longer life need proof of better health. A change in a blood result alone is not enough. [1]
What can CRP and other blood tests tell you?
C-reactive protein, or CRP, is one blood marker used to help assess health. Another is the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR. ESR measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a sample. These markers can give clues. They do not point to just one illness. A raised result does not explain every symptom, and a normal result cannot rule out every important disease. [2]
Watson and colleagues studied inflammatory-marker testing in UK primary care. The tests missed many illnesses. They also gave false-positive results: a raised marker when none of the diseases studied was found. The findings argue against treating these tests as a general “all clear” or as a diagnosis on their own. [2]
The reason for testing matters. A result requested to help follow an established condition has a different purpose from a test bought to look for an unspecified problem. To make sense of a result, a clinician needs more than the number. Your symptoms, other findings and the reason for the test all matter. [2]
If you have a result, keep the full report rather than just the number. Ask the clinician who requested it what it means in your case and whether anything needs to happen next. If symptoms persist or change, seek further advice even if the result was normal. More tests can add doubts if their purpose is not clear. [2]
Which changes have useful evidence?
Diet and exercise research supports a measured approach: some programmes improve some inflammation markers. Those results do not establish a treatment for every symptom or prove that a person will live longer. Ask who was studied, what they did and what changed. These details help you judge whether a finding applies to you. [3] [4]
| Area | What the evidence says | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Overall eating pattern | Keshani and colleagues’ 2025 review of diet trials found improvements in some markers with a Mediterranean-style diet, but not consistent effects across all markers. [3] | Consider the whole pattern of eating. This evidence does not establish a special food, exclusion diet or supplement as treatment for your symptoms. |
| Regular activity | Khalafi and colleagues’ 2023 review found small to moderate effects on inflammation markers in older adults taking part in exercise training. [4] | Activity can be part of a health plan. The findings do not specify one programme that is right for every age, illness or level of fitness. |
| Sleep and stress | Furman and colleagues discuss links between lifestyle, psychological stress and long-term inflammation. This is a broad scientific perspective, not a trial of one sleep or stress treatment. [1] | Sleep and stress deserve attention in their own right. Do not take an association as proof that a technique will normalise a blood result or treat an underlying illness. |
| Existing health conditions | Long-term inflammation can occur in different diseases. Understanding the condition matters; one marker cannot identify the right care. [1] [2] | Keep an agreed medical care plan under review. Broad lifestyle advice should not displace assessment and care for a diagnosed condition. |
A study’s result is an average for a group. People start with different health needs. What they eat, how they move and what care they receive also differ. Even a well-run trial does not promise the same change for you. This is why the details of a study matter more than a headline about “fighting inflammation”. [3] [4]
How can you make food choices without a restrictive diet?
A Mediterranean-style eating pattern includes vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts and olive oil, with fish where suitable. The trials looked at a pattern of eating. That pattern varied from one study to the next. It does not show that one ingredient will resolve pain, fatigue or digestive symptoms. [3]
Start with meals you already enjoy. Think about what could make them more balanced and easier to prepare. Cost, appetite, culture and cooking time all matter. You do not need to turn each food into a “good” or “bad” test of your health, or buy a product simply because it carries an anti-inflammatory label.
If you think a food is linked to symptoms, ask what help you need. Cutting out more foods is not the same as finding the cause. The gut-health guide explains the role of reviewing persistent digestive concerns. A diet trial cannot tell you whether you have a food reaction. [3]
Evidence about eating fish or a balanced diet is not evidence about a pill. Each product needs its own evidence. What it contains and how much you take both matter. This guide does not set out a supplement, probiotic or fasting programme. Ask what evidence supports a proposed intervention for your circumstances before treating it as part of your medical care.
What is a sensible next step if you are worried?
Start with what is worrying you: symptoms, a test result, an existing condition or future health. These are different questions. If symptoms persist, ask for a review of those symptoms. If a result worries you, speak with the clinician who requested it. Normal blood markers do not remove the need for that review. [2]
For future health, focus on risks you can assess and choices you can make. Ask which parts of your health need care. How does the plan fit with the care you already receive? What would count as progress? Progress may mean doing more, feeling better or managing a known risk. A lower blood marker is not the only goal.
- What question are we trying to answer?Separate an unexplained symptom from a general concern about healthy ageing.
- Would a test change the next step?Ask what each possible result would add and who will interpret it.
- What evidence applies to me?Ask whether the evidence concerns symptoms, disease outcomes or a blood marker.
- How will we review the plan?Agree what to follow up and what to do if things change.
Bring existing results and a list of medicines or supplements to that discussion. This gives you both a clear starting point. It is more useful than a number you recall or a product’s sales claims. The testing and diagnostics page describes Dr Stavy’s assessment-led approach and the separate costs of laboratory tests.
Common questions about inflammation
What is the difference between acute and chronic inflammation?
Acute inflammation is a short-term response to an injury or infection. It helps the body respond to harm and begin repair. Chronic inflammation persists and may occur in different diseases or alongside long-term risk factors. The distinction describes a process. It does not identify a cause or tell you which treatment you need.
Source: [1]
Does a high CRP mean that I have chronic inflammation?
A raised C-reactive protein, or CRP, result can be a clue, but it cannot establish a diagnosis on its own. Its meaning depends on why you were tested, your symptoms, other findings and the wider clinical picture. Discuss the result with the clinician who requested it. A result is not a stand-alone explanation for every symptom.
Source: [2]
Can a normal inflammation test rule out illness?
No. A normal inflammation marker cannot rule out every important illness. Watson and colleagues found that these tests missed many relevant diseases in UK primary care. If symptoms continue or change, seek further clinical advice even if a previous blood result was within its reference range. The next step should be based on your whole assessment.
Source: [2]
Which foods help with inflammation?
The strongest message is about an overall eating pattern, rather than one special food. A Mediterranean-style pattern includes vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts and olive oil, with fish where suitable. A review of trials found improvements in some inflammation markers, but not all. That does not prove that a particular food will treat your symptoms.
Source: [3]
Can exercise reduce inflammation?
Exercise trials in older adults suggest small to moderate improvements in some inflammation markers. Results depend on the people studied and the programme used. These findings do not establish one ideal exercise prescription for everyone. Choose activity that fits your health and ability, and ask for individual advice if illness, pain or fatigue limits what you can do.
Source: [4]
Should I take supplements or buy an inflammation test package?
A supplement or test package needs a clear purpose. Evidence about a food pattern cannot be transferred to a capsule, and more test results do not necessarily give a clearer answer. Ask what the product or test would change in your care, what evidence applies to you, and what the full cost would be before agreeing.
How quickly should inflammation improve?
There is no single timescale. It depends on the cause, any underlying illness, the care being used and what is being measured. A change in a blood marker is not the same as a change in symptoms or long-term health. Agree with your clinician what progress means and whether any follow-up test would be useful.
Explore the care that fits your question.
For prevention and healthy-ageing concerns, read about Dr Stavy’s longevity consultations. For persistent symptoms, discuss assessment with your own GP or healthcare professional. Check the service scope and fees and costs before deciding.
Sources and evidence limits
Research records checked through Consensus on 7 September 2026. Reviews bring together studies with different methods and populations.
- Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span
David Furman, J. Campisi, E. Verdin, Pedro Carrera-Bastos, S. Targ, C. Franceschi, L. Ferrucci, D. Gilroy, A. Fasano, G. Miller, Andrew H. Miller, A. Mantovani, C. Weyand, N. Barzilai, J. Goronzy, T. Rando, R. Effros, A. Lucia, N. Kleinstreuer, George M. Slavich (2019). Nature medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0. - Added value and cascade effects of inflammatory marker tests in UK primary care: a cohort study from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink
J. Watson, C. Salisbury, P. Whiting, J. Banks, Yvette Pyne, W. Hamilton (2019). The British Journal of General Practice. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp19x704321. - Mediterranean Diet Reduces Inflammation in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Mahdi Keshani, S. Rafiee, Hajar Heidari, M. Rouhani, Manoj Sharma, Mohammad Bagherniya (2025). Nutrition reviews. DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaf213. - Influence of different modes of exercise training on inflammatory markers in older adults with and without chronic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
M. Khalafi, A. Akbari, M. Symonds, M. Pourvaghar, S. Rosenkranz, Elma Tabari (2023). Cytokine. DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156303.