Chronic inflammation is one of the key drivers of ageing—and scientists have just discovered why it happens.
The discovery could reverse our biological clocks, allowing us to live longer and healthier lives, say researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
It’s all to do with the ability of our mitochondria—our power cells—to process calcium properly. The problem especially affects the mitochondria in immune cells—which are known as macrophages—which can’t absorb the calcium they need to function healthfully.
Macrophages are white blood cells that eat up dead and dying cells and control levels of pathogens and other foreign invaders. If they aren’t getting the calcium they need, they become hyperactive when they sense an invader, and this drives a process known as ‘inflammaging’—inflammation that accelerates the ageing process.
Buit topping up our calcium levels with supplements or diet won’t necessarily be the solution. It’s more to do with the processing of the nutrient, and understanding why that starts to go wrong is the next stage in the research.
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