Diagnostiki Athinon’s Chronic Inflammation Profile is perhaps the only way to monitor chronic inflammation, an insidious, symptomless, and signless pathological condition. Chronic inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of at least seven of the ten leading causes of death in the Western world and contributes to the body's aging.
What is Chronic Inflammation?
Inflammation is classified as the acute (immediate, hours, days) response to tissue damage. It produces characteristic symptoms (redness, heat, swelling, pain, loss of tissue or organ function). It is a protective process in which the body, through the immune system, tries to eliminate the cause of inflammation, remove damaged tissues, and begin 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. It is an essential factor in developing degenerative diseases and losing critical functions. Due to its silent nature (it gives no symptoms), chronic, low-grade inflammation multiplies its destructive power. Chronic inflammation can go unnoticed for years or even decades, destroying cellular functions. Because chronic inflammation is a major contributor to the decline in the tasks associated with the aging process, the term "inflammaging" was coined.
Excessive calorie intake, elevated blood sugar levels, and oxidative stress cause chronic inflammation.
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 without your knowledge. It has no signs or symptoms; laboratory tests are the only way to check for it.
By monitoring chronic inflammation and determining possible causes, we can discover the body's inflammatory status and return it to normal. The body can return to normal with the appropriate therapeutic interventions (lifestyles).
The testing of chronic inflammation includes the measurement of serum LPS in the blood. Elevated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels indicate 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, 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.
