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. 2017 Aug;29(5):769-787.
doi: 10.1177/0898264316645546. Epub 2016 Apr 25.

Social Inequalities in Inflammation: Age Variations in Older Persons

Uchechi A Mitchell  1 , Carol S Aneshensel  2
Affiliations

Social Inequalities in Inflammation: Age Variations in Older Persons

Uchechi A Mitchell et al. J Aging Health. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: Systemic inflammation is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and inequalities by race/ethnicity, gender, and education have been documented. However, there is incomplete knowledge as to how these disparities present across age, especially in late life. This study assesses whether differences in C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, are contingent on age among older persons.

Method: Data are from the 2006/2008 Health and Retirement Study ( n = 10,974) biomarker assessment. CRP was regressed on interactions between age and other status characteristics.

Results: Racial/ethnic differences in inflammation do not vary significantly by age. However, gender and education differences are greatest at younger ages and then narrow steadily with increasing age.

Discussion: There is considerable heterogeneity in how disparities in inflammation present across age and characteristics such as race/ethnicity, gender, and education. Understanding status differences in the influence of age on factors affecting late-life health is useful for health disparities research.

Keywords: education; gender; health disparities; inflammation; race/ethnicity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Predicted mean log-CRP by gender and age, Health and Retirement Study, 2006/2008. Note. CRP = C-reactive protein.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Predicted mean log-CRP by education and age, Health and Retirement Study, 2006/2008. Note. CRP = C-reactive protein.
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