Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of degenerative disease and unhealthy aging.
The initial inflammatory response is triggered by an infectious agent or tissue damage and beneficial because it allows the body to destroy, dilute or wall of the injurious agent and injured tissues. The cardinal signs of inflammation are pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function. In chronic inflammation, the inflammatory response is out of proportion to the threat is faced with or the response is directed at inappropriate targets. Some of the major chemical mediators involved in chronic inflammation are low-density lipoproteins (LDL), interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, C- reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine, and beta-amyloid protein. Read the rest of this entry »