Delayed Recognition

I’ve written a lot about scientific advances that take decades to transition into standard medical practice.

An example is the lethal threat posed by chronic inflammation, also known as "inflammaging."^1,2

Inflammaging can be measured, in part, by a C-reactive protein blood test.¹ High levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease,^1,3 cancer,^1,3 stroke, dementia,^4,5 and other degenerative conditions.^1,2

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 studies including over 484,000 participants found that people with high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels had a 75% increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with low CRP levels.⁶

Another study found that women in the highest 20% of CRP levels had a 70% greater risk of first major cardiovascular event or death over a 30-year period than those in the lowest 20% levels of CRP.⁷

These data suggest that elevated CRP may be a more accurate predictor of vascular disease than lipids like LDL cholesterol.

Despite these robust findings, I’ve never had a doctor ask me about my inflammatory status and rarely do I see CRP included in blood panels sent to us for personalized evaluations.

High-sensitivity CRP blood tests became broadly available in the early 2000s.⁸ Yet here we are in 2025, and the vast majority of aging individuals have no idea of their C-reactive protein (CRP) status.

This equates to millions of humans suffering inflammatory-related illnesses or deaths over a multi-decade period of biomedical neglect.

The encouraging news is that one culprit behind inflammaging is now being recognized in the form of cellular senescence.⁹

These published reports identify senolytics (compounds that remove senescent cells) as novel therapeutic tools to reduce the senescent cell burden ravaging our aging bodies.

With age, our body accumulates senescent cells that secrete pro-inflammatory factors that create what is known as the senescent-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).^9,10

Published studies demonstrate that the removal of senescent cells in live animals confers dramatic improvements in age-related losses of function, thereby enabling enhanced healthspan and lifespan.^11-15

The mere presence of senescent cells alone was shown to induce premature diseases and shorten lifespan in mouse models.^16,17

Most mice/rats live around two to four years. Naked mole rats can live for over 30 years.¹⁸ A 2023 study revealed the exceptional healthy longevity in naked mole rats can be attributed to their natural removal of accumulated senescent cells.¹⁹

Additional observations about senescent cells uncover their relevance to a wide range of seemingly distinct human degenerative disorders.

"Senolytics" are compounds that remove senescent cells from aging organisms.¹¹

As the chart below shows, the number of published studies that reference "senolytics" in the National Library of Medicine has explosively increased in years 2014 to 2024.²⁰

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Explosive growth of published research since 2014 when entering term "senolytic" into National Library of Medicine (www.pubmed.gov) database.²⁰

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This volume of research reflects the tremendous interest that has led to intense investigations into senolytic compounds that aging people can take to reduce their senescent cell burden.

Senescent Cells and Aging

Senescent cells increase in our bodies with age.²¹

One cause is a decline in immune functions that normally remove senescent cells in youth.^22,23

Senescent cells secrete protein-degrading enzymes that contribute directly to inflammation and inflammaging. They also release compounds that ignite systemic, low level inflammatory reactions throughout our body.^9,10

As toxic secretions from accumulating senescent cells increase, so do pro-inflammatory reactions that create more senescent cells. In a vicious cycle, they further promote the senescent-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and hence more systemic inflammation.^9,10

Reversing immune senescence will go a long way in reducing senescent cell populations. In the meantime, compounds that target senescent cells for removal (senolytics) are being intensively studied.

Inflammaging and Chronic Diseases

Chronic, low-level inflammatory reactions (inflammaging) have been identified as driving forces that increase the risk and worsen severity of age-related disorders such as type II diabetes,^24,25 neuro-degenerative diseases,^5,26 osteoarthritis,²⁷ insulin resistance,^1,28 atherosclerosis,^28,29 macular degeneration,³⁰ and chronic kidney disorders.^1,31

Mounting evidence indicates these age-related disorders can also augment inflammation in a brutal cycle.^32-35

Inflammaging is thus a therapeutic target to enhance healthy aging by inhibiting proinflammatory pathways and activating anti-inflammatory responses.^36,37

Senolytics are rapidly emerging as tools to prevent age-related disorders by eliminating senescent cells whose secretions are involved in pro-inflammatory processes.^38,39

Current Anti-Inflammatory Strategies

Commercials relentlessly air on TV about prescription drugs that reduce inflammation reactions by suppressing specific immune functions. These advertisements then warn of the potential dangers of suppressing immunity that include increased risk of infections and certain cancers.

We at Life Extension have long advocated for healthy dietary practices that go a long way to balancing the body’s pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways. The benefits of ingesting anti-inflammatory foods (and avoiding pro-inflammatory ones) were demonstrated in a large (84,000-person) study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).⁴⁰

Participants with cardio-metabolic disorders were carefully evaluated (including blood samples) to iden- tify the effects of an anti-inflammatory diet compared with a pro-inflammatory diet on differing measures of neurodegeneration. Those who adhered most to inflammation-lowering diets had larger brain volumes that may lead to fewer degenerative pathologies.

The end result of this JAMA published study was a 31% lower risk of dementia in study subjects who ate an anti-inflammatory diet that protects against inflammaging.⁴⁰

Corroborating Previous Recommendations

An avalanche of published research validates the healthy longevity benefits of Mediterranean dietary patterns that have long been advocated by alternative medicine pioneers.

Consuming omega-3 rich foods and other components of a Mediterranean diet impedes the production of inflammation-stimulating eicosanoids such as prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4.

People who adhere to Mediterranean-type diets have been found to live considerably longer in better health, indicating the virtues of minimizing intake of toxic (inflammation-promoting) foods and instead ingesting more of those with anti-inflammatory mechanisms.^41-43

The best ways to ward off inflammaging today: Exercising consistently,^44,45 not smoking,⁴⁶ maintaining a healthy weight and eating healthfully.^45,47 Some research suggests the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes nuts, whole grains, fish, fruits and vegetables, is particularly protective against inflammation. Red meat, by contrast, promotes inflammation.⁴⁷

Cell Senescence Augments Inflammaging

Chronic inflammation is a major factor in the process of degenerative aging.³⁵

While inflammaging has multiple causes, the pro-inflammatory impact of the senescent-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is increasingly being recognized, along with the need for strategies that target senescent cells for elimination.^9,10

In vivo (live animal) studies have demonstrated that the increase in senescent cell populations with age strongly coincides with markers of inflammaging.^48-50

These studies report the relationship between increased numbers of senescent cells in aging mice with inflammaging.

Mouse models consistently show induction of cellular senescence to be associated with increased levels of pro-inflammatory factors.^51-53

Senolytic compounds

Drug companies are investigating chemicals that can be patented and marketed to treat various disorders of aging by reducing senescent cell populations.

A leukemia drug called dasatinib, when combined with quercetin, has consistently demonstrated senolytic effects.^11,54-57

The field of senolytic research is rapidly expanding, with a growing number of compounds being tested to potentially extend human healthspans. As more drugs progress through clinical trials, the number of senolytic therapies available should increase in the future.

In the meantime, those seeking to reduce their senescent cell burdens rely on plant extracts that have mechanisms similar to dasatinib and other drugs being studied for their senolytic properties.

One of these senolytic mechanisms is inhibiting BCL-2 proteins.²¹

BCL-2 stands for "B-cell lymphoma" and inhibiting it can not only induce apoptosis (removal) of senescent cells but may also reduce the risk of certain cancers that rely on BCL-2-mediated survival pathways.^58,59

The most potent BCL-2 inhibiting plant compounds may be black tea theaflavins, which have been shown to inhibit key pathways involved with inflammaging and reduce cancer risks.^60-62

Those seeking to benefit from the senolytic properties of plant compounds often take a once-weekly dose of formulas containing potent forms of theaflavins, quercetin, and fisetin.

The objective is to target several apoptosis-inducing mechanisms that promote clearance of senescent cells and reduce levels of "inflammaging."

In October 2024, the Wall Street Journal published an article detailing the serious threat to health caused by inflammaging.⁶³

While these mainstream media reports will help save the lives of those who initiate actions to suppress the inflammatory fires of aging, I fear too little will be done to optimize C-reactive protein blood levels, which involves radical changes to typical American diets and often significant weight loss along with a senolytic strategy.

Knowing your CRP blood level lets you know what actions to consider to help extinguish the fires of inflammaging that may be smoldering in your aging body.

Life Extension^® has offered C-reactive protein blood testing since the late 1990s. We include CRP along with numerous other disease risk markers in the popular Male and Female Blood Test Panels that you can review by turning this page.

If you only need a CRP and CBC/Lipids/Chem Panel, you can order this for only $57.75 during the annual Blood Test Super Sale that expires July 7, 2025.

For longer life,

William Faloon, Co-Founder, Life Extension®

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