Inflammaging is a nifty new term that refers to the role that inflammation causes in aging of all of our tissues.

Inflammation is one of Dr. Greger’s 11 pathways of cellular aging, as described in his fine book How Not to Age. Inflammation causes aging and degradation of many of the cells in our body, and contributes to dementia, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and most other chronic diseases.

We definitely want to reduce inflammation! How can we do this? Nutrition plays a big role. In our table, we list a number of superfoods that have evidence of reducing inflammation.

How do I know if I have inflammation?

Well you might feel it. Aches, pains, fatigue. But you might not.

We can measure your level of inflammation by using a few simple blood tests:

White Blood Cell Count (WBC) - When this is even on the high end of normal, like close to 10, it can signal excessive inflammation.

C-Reactive Protein (CRP) or High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCPR) - This simple blood test test is known to be a predictor of heart attacks and all-cause mortality. In fact, a recent article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology concluded that “Among statin-treated patients, inflammation assessed by means of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a more powerful determinant of cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality than low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).”

Bottom line: hsCRP appears to be a super important blood test that for some people, we should follow just as frequently as cholesterol levels!

In addition to getting repeatedly nagged to eat more fruits and vegetables, how can I reduce my inflammation?

We have a new pill for that! Actually it is a 6,000 year old drug. But recent research suggests that low dose colchicine can significantly reduce inflammation and reduce heart attacks! While it is quite safe for most people and has few side effects, it is not for everyone. If you have advanced kidney disease, liver disease, or bone marrow disease, then you are not a candidate.

Which brings us to our…

New World-Class Program: Advanced Heart Health

You might recall that Progressive Health launched our region’s only Intensive Cardiac Rehab program in May 2024. This life-saving program may well be the most powerful medicine we have to prevent and even reverse deadly heart disease. The ICR program is only available to patients who have a history of stent or heart surgery, or current angina, or advanced CHF, or a recent heart attack.

But what about the rest of us? Heart disease is our leading killer too!

We created the Advanced Heart Health program to serve anyone who wants to improve their heart health, vascular health, reverse diseases like type 2 diabetes, and feel better.

This is a medical program, and it combines

• Medical office visits with our Lifestyle Medicine Certified providers, to follow our heart disease prevention algorithms, do advanced cardiac tests and therapies (like colchicine mentioned above!)

• Exercise and fitness skill building in our medical fitness center, supervised by our team of highly skilled Clinical Exercise Physiologists.

• Scientific group education and group support in our education room, following your exercise session. Here we help you build heart-healing skills in nutrition, mental health, and lifestyle.

What is the cost of the Advanced Heart Health program?

FREE with Fitness Lab membership. The fee permits you to participate in exercise testing and skill building in our fitness center, under the guidance of our Clinical Exercise Physiologists. Your insurance is billed for medical office visits and education sessions.

How long does it last?

The program is super flexible! We recommend that you participate once (or twice) per week for 3 months, but you can participate for less time or more time, as you choose.

When and Where?

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in our medical gym at 3411 Silverside Rd, Springer Building, Wilmington, Delaware.