Background: Obesity-related increases in multiple inflammatory markers may contribute to the persistent subclinical inflammation common with advancing age. However, it is unclear if a specific combination of markers reflects the underlying inflammatory state. We used factor analysis to identify inflammatory factor(s) and examine their associations with adiposity in older adults at risk for disability.
Methods: Adiponectin, CRP, IL-1ra, IL-1sRII, IL-2sRα, IL-6, IL-6sR, IL-8, IL-15, sTNFRI, sTNFRII, and TNF-α were measured in 179 participants from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (Mean ± SD age 77 ± 4 years, 76% white, 70% women). Body mass index, waist circumference, and total fat mass were assessed by anthropometry and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.
Results: IL-2sRα, sTNFRI, and sTNFRII loaded highest on the first factor (factor 1). CRP, IL-1ra, and IL-6 loaded highest on the second factor (factor 2). Factor 2, but not factor 1, was positively associated with 1-SD increments in waist circumference (β = 0.160 ± 0.057, p = .005), body mass index (β = 0.132 ± 0.053, p = .01), and total fat mass (β = 0.126 ± 0.053, p = .02) after adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, site, smoking, anti-inflammatory medications, comorbidity index, health-related quality of life, and physical function. These associations remained significant after further adjustment for grip strength, but only waist circumference remained associated with inflammation after adjusting for total lean mass. There were no significant interactions between adiposity and muscle mass or strength for either factor.
Conclusions: Greater total and abdominal adiposity are associated with higher levels of an inflammatory factor related to CRP, IL-1ra, and IL-6 in older adults, which may provide a clinically useful measure of inflammation in this population.