HealthAugust 15, 2026
inflammaging
in-fla-MAY-jing
Definition
The phenomenon of chronic, low-grade inflammation that develops and persists as a person ages.
Etymology
This term is a portmanteau formed by combining 'inflammation' and 'aging,' coined by researchers in the early 2000s to describe the systemic inflammatory state associated with the aging process.
In the news
The article uses 'inflammaging' to explain how environmental factors like diet and inactivity shape age-related inflammation, rather than it being an inevitable consequence of getting older.
Scientists Say We’ve Been Thinking About Chronic Inflammation All Wrong
Read the full article ↗Men's Journal