There are many theories of aging – most of which reflect a valid point explaining what might go wrong with the human body as it ages. Many of these accelerated aging principles start early in life. A new study by Swedish researchers evaluating almost four decades of human data reinforces the emerging paradigm of aging that says chronic low-grade inflammation¹ over the course of a lifetime is not healthy.

The study involves 49,321 Swedish males aged 18-20 who were measured for inflammation and IQ back in 1969-70. An evaluation of that data shows that chronic low-grade inflammation at this early age was directly linked to intelligence.

“Although we knew that inflammation associated with infection or cardiovascular disease could impair brain function, this is the first time that similar associations have been shown in healthy young people,” said lead researcher Dr. Hakan Karlsson. “This suggests that even low levels of inflammation can have detrimental consequences for health and brain function,” he added.

The men were then followed for deaths that occurred over the next 35 years. Inflammation at age 20 predicted premature death over the next 35 years. “This is an important finding because it is the largest study to date to show that low-grade inflammation in young adulthood is associated with intelligence and mortality,” said Dr Michelle Luciano, from the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh.

This study shows quite plainly that managing health is a life-long activity. Managing wear and tear, even at young ages, is a vital life skill that pays long-term health dividends. Unfortunately, being overweight, not sleeping enough, drinking too much, smoking, drugs, and other common stressors of youth are all going to induce chronic low-grade inflammation. The handwriting is clearly on the wall. Who will act on the data?