Social Inequalities in Inflammation: Age Variations in Older Persons

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.

Figure 1

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

Figure 2

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