Urbanization, environment, and inflammaging: insights from sub-Saharan Africa.

Stephen W Bickler, Matchecane Cossa, Irina Mendes de Sousa, Emília V Noormahomed

Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. [email protected] of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. [email protected]. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Emerging evidence shows that inflammaging varies across populations, challenging universal immune-aging models. Urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa-characterized by reduced exposure to infectious diseases and rising rates of noncommunicable diseases-offers a natural experiment for assessing environmental effects on inflammaging. Lower inflammaging in indigenous groups may reflect adaptation to chronic infection, whereas heightened inflammation in industrialized populations suggests ecological imbalance, underscoring the need to include diverse ecological groups in aging research.

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Research summary

Urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa influences levels of inflammaging, suggesting environmental factors play a significant role in immune aging. This paper is relevant as it explores the environmental determinants of aging, which could provide insights into the root causes of aging and inform strategies for lifespan extension.

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