Actually Sed rate is not the most accurate way to assess inflammation. The most common way to measure inflammation is to conduct a blood test for C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which is a marker of inflammation. Doctors also measure homocysteine levels to evaluate chronic inflammation. There has been some inconclusive associations between CRP and longevity.
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@Borat Smith I've got serious autoimmune disease. My sed rate as well as other blood work is normal. My reading has uncovered that about a third of people with autoimmune disease have normal bloodwork. Since women suffer from these diseases more often than men, they are often dismissed as emotionally ill rather than physically ill.
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Has anybody ever had this “sed rate” test? I've never heard of it before. I'd like to have one done. In this case, the young men didn't even know they had high inflammation.
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Eat more anti-inflammatory foods. Those are the unprocessed and colorful fruits, vegetables as well as nuts and grains.
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The cardiovascular results are not unexpected, though their magnitudes are awfully high for a long, 35-year period.
The astounding result is the 78% higher cancer rate.
Most cancers are now thought to be “caused” not by inheritance or even environmental factors, but by accumulatied mutations (in specific proto-oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes, “driver” genes)—mostly by chance. So how can this be? Even confounders cannot explain such a high differential rate.
Any ideas, people?
How could high inflammation in 20-year-olds predict 80% higher cancer rates over the next 35 years?
Makes no sense. Could be a big clue?
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Can you imagine how much money private health and life insurance companies can make by getting such data on young people? You simply deny coverage to these people for their entire lives.
Kaa-Ching!
(Even better with more specific inflammation markers, I’m sure...)
Only in America, without universal, automatic, single-payer coverage!
Let’s punish the afflicted! Vote GOP to eliminate Obamacare’s required coverage of pre-existing conditions!
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Why is the study focused on men only? No women included in the study?
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@FDNYMom -
Perhaps 35 years ago Swedish women didn’t have compulsory military service? Just a guess.
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Sugar and refined carbs can cause inflammation (that's widely accepted). As someone with gluten intolerance I also wonder if that could be a cause, for people who react to gluten (not the whole population).
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Is the inflammation caused by dental problems?
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@Kay Sieverding It can be. Several years ago my young adult son my diagnosed with "high but within normal limits" thyroid levels. His internist said not to worry, but my family has a history of Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease, so I contacted my functional medicine doctor. After looking at the full set of blood tests and taking a family history, the doc recommended working with his colleague (a dentist) who has been trained to use Perio Protect (perioprotect.com). They both recommended getting tested using Hain Diagnostics test strips (a trained dentist can perform the test for you). The test came back positive for bacteria that could be the cause of elevated thyroid levels (as my doc suspected). Long story short, after using Perio Protectmy son's thyroid levels are back to normal. I got tested (I have inflammation issues) and both my son and I are back to normal and are on the maintenance plan with Perio Protect.
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I would like to know if Juvenile Arthritis then is related to early death? Juvenile Arthritis may be the reason for high inflammation.
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Is there an explanation as to why otherwise healthy, young people may high high inflamation?
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@Alok -
Since we are talking about TWICE the number of heart attacks, even after decades, my bet is that it is primarily endothelial-related inflammation that is most important here. This is inflammation of the inner lining of our arteries.
In preventing cardiovascular disease, medicine is moving away from a primitive “plumbing” paradigm (e.g. cholesterol, blockages, stents) to a “vulnerable plaque” paradigm. We need to move further to an “endothelial health” paradigm. Apparently a “lifetime endothelial health” paradigm!
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