The age-related increase in low-grade systemic inflammation (Inflammaging) is not driven by cytomegalovirus infection

Ageing is accompanied by the development of low grade systemic inflammation, termed ‘inflammageing’, characterised by raised serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Importantly, inflammageing is implicated in the pathogenesis of several age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia and is associated with increased mortality. The incidence of infection with the persistent herpes virus cytomegalovirus (CMV) also increases with age. Cross-sectional studies have proposed CMV infection as a significant driver of inflammageing, but a definitive case for CMV as a causative agent in inflammageing has not been made. We studied longitudinally 249 subjects (153 men, 96 women) who participated in the Hertfordshire Ageing Study at baseline (1993/5, mean age 67•5 years) and at 10 year follow up. At both times anthropometric measurements were made, subjects provided blood samples for analysis of inflammatory status and CMV seropositivity and completed lifestyle questionnaires.In the cohort as a whole, serum CRP (p