Diagnostiki Athinon’s Chronic Inflammation Profile is perhaps the only way to monitor chronic inflammation, an insidious, symptomless, and sign-less pathological condition. Chronic inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of at least seven of the ten leading causes of death in the western world and the aging of the body.
What is Chronic Inflammation?
Inflammation is classically defined as the acute (immediate, hours, days) response to tissue damage, produces characteristic symptoms (redness, heat, swelling, pain, loss of tissue or organ function), and is a protective process in which the body through the immune system, tries to eliminate the cause of inflammation, remove damaged tissues and begin the process of repairing them. Acute inflammation is a "good" and beneficial process for the body.
Chronic inflammation is long-term inflammation (months, years), also called persistent, low-grade inflammation, and occurs when:
- The body is unable to remove the cause of the acute inflammation, so it becomes chronic
- The body attacks auto-antigens, considering the body's normal tissues and cells as invaders
- There is a cause of inflammation, usually of low intensity, that persists
Chronic inflammation is a "bad" and destructive process for the body and is an important factor in the development of degenerative diseases and the loss of important functions of the body. Chronic, low-grade inflammation, due to its silent nature (gives no symptoms), multiplies its destructive power. In fact, chronic inflammation can go unnoticed for years or even decades, destroying cellular functions throughout the body. Because chronic inflammation is a major contributor to the decline in the functions associated with the aging process, the term "inflammaging" was coined.
Chronic inflammation is caused by excessive calorie intake, elevated blood sugar levels, and oxidative stress.
Of the ten leading causes of death in the Western world, chronic inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of at least seven.
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Chronic respiratory diseases
- Strokes
- Alzheimer's disease
- Diabetes mellitus
- Kidney diseases
Why is it necessary to check Chronic Inflammation?
Chronic inflammation can threaten your health right now without you knowing it. Chronic inflammation has no signs and no symptoms. The only way to check is through laboratory tests.
By monitoring chronic inflammation we can discover the inflammatory status of the body and determine the possible causes. With the appropriate therapeutic interventions (lifestyle, diet, supplements, medicines) the body can return to normal.
The testing of chronic inflammation includes the measurement of serum LPS in the blood. Elevated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels are indicative of increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome). Lipopolysaccharide is the immunogenic portion of the outer cell membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. When blood LPS levels are high, it means that all or part of the microbes can pass through the intestinal tract, between and through the intestinal cells, into the bloodstream, causing a strong immune response and chronic inflammation.
