ABSTRACT
The inflammaging concept was introduced in 2000 by Prof. Franceschi. This was an evolutionary or rather a revolutionary conceptualization of the immune changes in response to a lifelong stress. This conceptualization permitted to consider the lifelong proinflammatory process as an adaptation which could eventually lead to either beneficial or detrimental consequences. This dichotomy is influenced by both the genetics and the environment. Depending on which way prevails in an individual, the outcome may be healthy longevity or pathological aging burdened with aging-related diseases. The concept of inflammaging has also revealed the complex, systemic nature of aging. Thus, this conceptualization opens the way to consider age-related processes in their complexity, meaning that not only the process but also all counter-processes should be considered. It has also opened the way to add new concepts to the original one, leading to better understanding of the nature of inflammaging and of aging itself. Finally, it showed the way towards potential multimodal interventions involving a holistic approach to optimize the aging process towards a healthy longevity.
ABSTRACT
Immunosenescence and inflammaging are two fundamental age-related changes substantially paving the way to accelerated aging, multidimensional frailty, and poor outcomes of several illnesses including COVID-19. A common misbelief is that immunosenescence and inflammaging, like other age-related changes, are exclusively detrimental. However, they are inserted in a highly complex landscape of physiological changes occurring with increasing age at the biomolecular, organismal, psychosocial, and functional level. The understanding of this complex picture is fundamental to develop strategies aimed at maintaining robustness. Groundbreaking descriptions of frailty paved the way to successful interventions to maintain and restore robustness. To date, frailty is well established as the very core of geriatric medicine, going far beyond multimorbidity and chronological age. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.