Does inflammation in mid-life affect late-life mobility?

In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, having high inflammation in mid-life was associated with a clinically meaningful slower gait speed—an indicator of mobility—20 years later.

In the study, which included 4,758 community-dwelling adults, the link between high inflammation and slower late-life gait speed was especially strong for people with sustained high inflammation over the 20-plus years of follow-up. The association was evident even among the healthiest adults who never experienced other common conditions such as obesity, hypertension, or diabetes.

“These findings suggest that monitoring inflammation has the potential to be important for late life health, similar to monitoring routine health metrics such as blood pressure and glucose,” said corresponding author B. Gwen Windham, MD, MHS.

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About the Journal
Journal of the American Geriatric Society is the go-to journal for clinical aging research. We provide a diverse, interprofessional community of healthcare professionals with the latest insights on geriatrics education, clinical practice, and public policy—all supporting the high-quality, person-centered care essential to our well-being as we age.

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