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The same biological process that FIGHTS infection also silently underlies the diseases we more commonly think of as diseases of aging and diseases of affluence. The process is inflammation. It enables our bodies to fend off various disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites. If inflammation occurs when no infection is present we are predisposed to a wide variety of diseases.  Inflammation is a major area of medical research because as we live longer our highly sensitive immune system is prone to becoming activated. The western lifestyle associated with a diet high in sugars and saturated fats, and little or no exercise also activates the immune system. Not surprisingly, we now know that people who limit inflammation do better than those that have chronic inflammation:
- anti-inflammatory drugs ruduce the risk of alzheimer's disease
- anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the lrisk of bowel cancer
- anti-inflammatory drugs prevent heart attacks
- anti-inflammatory drugs essentially cure rheumatoid arthritis
Coronary artery disease is an inflammatory condition and patients with the highest levels of inflammation have the most heart attacks. An excellent marker in this context is hsCRP and patients with levels below 0.5 mg/l have a very low risk of suffering from a heart attack.  Inflammation is at the heart of the problems that face diabetics. Inflammation alone causes diabetes. Again hsCRP is a good indicator of the level of inflammation and the level of risk the diabetic faces.
Although the cancer process remains incompletley understood, inflammation promotes the transformation of normal cells into tumor cells. Limiting inflammation reduces the risk of many types of cancer and yet again the hs CRP level is a guide to the level of silent inflammation that is present. Even Alzheimer's disease is a disorder of chronic inflammation and new evidence demonstrates very promising results from blocking inflammation directly within the brain. Limiting lifetime inflammation should be every-persons second obsession. Here are just a few ways to reduce inflammation: - stay fit and active your whole life
- aim to maintain an ideal body weight with low body fat
- eat an anti-inflammatory diet
- avoid infections
- vaccinate
- breath clean air
- maintain perfect teeth and gums
- monitor your hsCRP
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