#43

I think it is wise to address so many possible causes of underlying chronic inflammation. “Chronic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” is considered one of the hallmarks of aging. It is characterized by low-grade, persistent inflammation that contributes to the development and progression of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and osteoporosis. Strategies to mitigate inflammaging include adopting a healthy diet, engaging in regular exercise, managing stress, prioritizing sleep, and considering anti-inflammatory supplements and medications.”

Biomarkers of Inflammation:
C-Reactive Protein (CRP): An acute-phase protein that is commonly used as a biomarker of systemic inflammation.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6): A pro-inflammatory cytokine that is often elevated in chronic inflammation.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α): Another pro-inflammatory cytokine associated with chronic inflammation.
These tests are available from such sites as Ulta Lab.

I am unfamiliar with the Interleukin-6 or Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha tests, but I know that the CRP test has to be taken over some time to determine whether or not the inflammation is acute or chronic.
I take several anti-inflammatories.
Boswellia Serrata is one of my favorites.

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#44

@mccoy Heres a link to a paper I posted above on inflammation for you but I forgot to tag you. It is quite specific about inflammation and heart disease, among other downstream effects.

I’m not saying that ApoB shouldn’t be managed. I’m just saying that isn’t enough. Whether you can get your apoB low enough that inflammation doesn’t matter or whether inflammation is a driver of elevated apoB, I couldn’t say. But it is clear that inflammation is behind (or around) many other chronic illnesses beyond CVD so addressing inflammation seems like the priority to me.

#45

addressing inflammation seems like the priority to me

What inflammation markers do you track, and what are your target levels?

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#46

I too wonder why all the fuss about inflammation. If it is low, then forget about it. If it is high, then let’s prioritize and execute.

@约瑟夫_拉维尔, you say your CRP has been low all the time, so why a non-existing inflammation is such a concern, I just can’t understand, there is probably something I am missing

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#47

I only track the hsCRP blood marker specifically for inflammation. But I monitor many things that imply immune system health:

  • food sensitivities (gut health)
  • allergies (mostly airways; I also use a Neti bottle to help out)
  • recovery from exercise (should be very fast unless I did too much)
  • catching colds (target is never)
  • joint pain (stiff big toe is a marker)
  • insulin resistance (feeling of blood sugar swings)
  • good sleep (several days of poor sleep is a marker)
  • stress controlled

The idea is my immune system should be operating at a very low level until I need it to ramp up temporarily for fight off something or repair something. If it stays “active” then it’s fighting my own body and it is weakened for doing the things I want.

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#48

I agree that it is a very good thing to monitor immune health, which is a big tool against cancer, but as far as I understand you don’t need to worry about systemic inflammation or inflammaging, ditto, I believe, about many other users of this forum.

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#49

@mccoy That is a reasonable question. I don’t have a scientific answer. All I know is I don’t know what I’m doing but I’m doing what I can with what I know and believe, and responding to what happens.

I do think my inflammation is down from: rapa in last 18 mos, better sleep and stress mgmt, less alcohol (almost none), more care to avoid pollution (tap water, car exhaust), less AGEs in my diet (zero fried food, almost no grilled food), better gut health (30 plants every week, no antibiotics, no junk food).

My hsCRP is very low. Yet, I started on rapa to cure painful knees (worked), and a 5-day FMD eliminated lifting related joint soreness. I had no idea that could happen. Maybe it was senescent cells? Maybe it was too little rapa (every two weeks)? Maybe I’ve been eating too much protein (that just stopped)?

I don’t know. I’m 62 and on the downslope. I’m fighting back by creating a stimulus for my body to adapt to harder and harder exercise. I’m increasing very slowly to let my body stay healthy while it recovers and adapts. And I am trying to provide needed resources (proteins, sleep time, etc) and remove impediments (inflammation, unhelpful stress).

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#50

You may want to try another statin like Atorvastatin. Rosuvastatin also made me feel like an old man and ruined my life as well. Atorvastatin was great with no side effects. I’d suggest giving it a go to find a statin that works for you.

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#51

Thanks. But I started on atorvastatin (had muscle aches immediately), and then switched to
Rosuvastatin which seems to work without side effects at first. Then muscle aches started (lowering dose helped), and then I started feeling old and weak (no obvious connection but disappeared with GG and then without GG after stopping).

I’ll revisit additional tools if I need more reduction. Bempedoic acid, ezetimibe, berberine, many anti-inflammation efforts, vit D, NO, lower protein (less fat in diet), zero added fat or sugar in diet.

But I feel 15 years younger right now. I won’t give that up easily.

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#52

I buy Bempedoic Acid from a US based Indian supplier. More expensive than direct to India but fast and more reliable and the supplier will make good on a botched order. Currently the price is $1.05 per 180 mg. tablet.

Same with Ezetimibe at a price of $0.44 per 10 mg. tablet.

I have not found a statin that does not weaken my lower body Type I muscles. I wish I could. The B&E combo get me close to where I want to be but not all the way.

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#53

Have you tried experimenting with ubiquinol? Even a very low dose once a week seems to do the trick for me.

#54

I have not @Virilius . I have taken CoQ-10 for many years but generally just whatever Costco or Life Extension, etc. had on sale (which would probably not be Ubiquinol), and only once daily in the AM. Do you have any information on doses and frequency that you have seen work? Consumer Labs references one study with twice daily administration after a meal. The reduction was a modest 6% but added to Ezetimbie and Bempoedic Acid, the effect could be greater (or less).

#55

By the way, I have been taking Bempoedic Acid and Ezetembie at the standard doses for several months now with no detectable side effects. If anything, I think I feel better but I’m not attributing that to the drugs.

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#56

30mg taken once a week is the dose I am currently using and I don’t feel any muscle weakness nor do I get this “euphoric” feeling I get when I take something I’m deficient in, implying that this dose at this frequency is just “right” for me.
Because the body only produces ~1mg of CoQ10 daily, 30mg of ubiquinol will largely replenish any inhibited CoQ10.

#57

What statin/dose are you taking?

#58

Atorvastatin, currently on 20mg a day.

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#59

I recall seeing a chart showing that most of the benefit of atorvastatin could be obtained at a relatively low dose. Is 20 mg. that point? Do you recall that reference?

#60

You get most of the benefits from Atorvastatin at 5 mg. 5 mg lowered my LDL and ApoB by 30% on top of Bempedoic Acid and Ezetemibe.

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#61

Thanks! Did you take 10 mg EOD or find the 5 mg tablets. I don’t see those on one of my sources.

#62

I took the 10 mg tablets and cut them in half. It works.

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