Association of inflammatory markers with socioeconomic status.
BACKGROUND
This study examines the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and inflammatory markers in well-functioning older adults and seeks to determine whether any association remains after adjusting for biomedical and behavioral factors typically related to elevated serum levels of inflammatory markers.


METHODS
Data were obtained from 3044 men and women, aged 70-79 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Memphis, Tennessee participating in the Health, Aging and Body Composition study. Three indicators of SES were used: education, income, and ownership of financial assets. Serum levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were measured.


RESULTS
Low SES was associated with significantly elevated levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha compared to high SES. Behavioral factors (including smoking, drinking, obesity) explained a substantial part of the inverse association between SES and inflammatory markers. Adjustment for prevalent diseases (including heart diseases, lung disease, and diabetes) associated with inflammation explained less of the association.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that interventions to improve health behaviors, even in old age and especially in low SES groups, may be useful in reducing risks associated with inflammation.
Department of Health Care Studies, Section of Medical Sociology, Universiteit Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. a.koster@zw.unimaas.nl
Annemarie
A
Koster
Hans
H
Bosma
Brenda W J H
BW
Penninx
Anne B
AB
Newman
Tamara B
TB
Harris
Jacques Th M
JT
van Eijk
Gertrudis I J M
GI
Kempen
Eleanor M
EM
Simonsick
Karen C
KC
Johnson
Ronica N
RN
Rooks
Hilsa N
HN
Ayonayon
Susan M
SM
Rubin
Stephen B
SB
Kritchevsky
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010414:Pennsylvania; D012923:Social Class; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013714:Tennessee; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein