Inflammation: The Hidden Culprit Behind Chronic Disease?

Most everyone knows acute inflammation, that short-lived redness and swelling that characterizes the healing process in response to injury or infection. But you may not be so familiar with chronic inflammation, a low-grade, insidious condition linked to the biggest killers of Western world, including heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. A constant state of immune system overactivity, chronic inflammation is all but invisible, meaning people typically don't know they have it until disease has developed. Are there telltale signs? And what can you do to prevent it? In this episode, we learn about the condition the World Health Organization ranks as the greatest threat to human health.Expert: Dr. Joshua Septimus, Primary Care PhysicianInterviewer: Todd AckermanNotable topics covered:What we know about how chronic inflammation causes disease Why it took so long for low-grade inflammation to come into the chronic disease spotlight Do the "-itises" (sinusitis, colitis, tendonitis) have anything to do with chronic inflammation? The link between processed food and the risk of low-grade inflammation The best test to determine if you have chronic inflammation Are there pharmaceutical treatments targeted at chronic inflammation? It's not just what you eat — the other factors that can promote low-grade inflammation Does being significantly overweight always predispose a person to chronic inflammation? The best dietary approach to prevent chronic inflammationIf you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.