title: Long-term assessment of inflammation and healthy aging in late life: the Cardiovascular Health Study All Stars.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Associations of inflammation with age-related pathologies are documented; however, it is not understood how changes in inflammation over time impact healthy aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined associations of long-term change in C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) with concurrent onset of physical and cognitive impairment, subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality in 1,051 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study All Stars Study. Biomarkers were measured in 1996-1997 and 2005-2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2005-2006, median age was 84.9 years, 63% were women and 17% non-white; 21% had at least a doubling in CRP over time and 23% had at least a doubling in IL-6. Adjusting for demographics, CVD risk factors, and 1996-1997 CRP level, each doubling in CRP change over 9 years was associated with higher risk of physical or cognitive impairment (odds ratio 1.29; 95% confidence interval 1.15, 1.45). Results were similar for IL-6 (1.45; 1.20, 1.76). A doubling in IL-6 change over time, but not CRP, was associated with incident CVD events; hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.34 (1.03, 1.75). Doubling in change in each biomarker was individually associated with mortality (CRP: 1.12 [1.03, 1.22]; IL-6 1.39 [1.16, 1.65]). In models containing both change and 2005-2006 level, only level was associated with CVD events and mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although increases in inflammation markers over 9 years were associated with higher concurrent risk of functional impairment and subsequent CVD events and mortality, final levels of each biomarker appeared to be more important in determining risk of subsequent events than change over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 208 South Park Drive, Colchester, VT 05446, USA. nancy.jenny@uvm.edu
authors.forename: Nancy S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Jenny
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: Alice M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Elsa S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Strotmeyer
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cushman
authors.forename: Paulo H M
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Jingzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Linda P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kritchevsky
authors.forename: Dena E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Rifkin
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sarnak
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Newman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014707:Vermont / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: C508600:IL6 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein