This Week in Inflammageing: Why Hidden Inflammation Is Driving Midlife Risk—And How to Measure, Fix, and Sustain

New research links hidden inflammation to women's heart risk in midlife. Learn what to test, how to lower it, and how to sustain results with Dr Vix Manning.

Introduction

If you've ever felt like you're "doing everything right" yet your energy, weight, skin, or sleep still aren't where they should be, this week's headlines explain why. Inflammation isn't just a symptom of ageing—it's often the driver. And crucially, it's measurable and modifiable.

Think of inflammaging as your body's alarm system getting stuck in the "on" position. Instead of protecting you, it starts causing the very problems it was meant to prevent.

Hot Topics in the Press This Week

Women's heart risk and hidden inflammation: Reuters covered research suggesting inflammation may help explain heart attacks and strokes in women without the usual risk factors. Translation: you can have "normal" cholesterol and blood pressure yet still be at risk if inflammatory signalling is elevated.

The gut-hormone breakthrough: Brand new research from January 2025 has identified specific gut bacteria that can predict menopause symptoms. Scientists analysed over 70,000 women and found 32 bacterial species that influence both how you feel during menopause and your overall health. This is the first large-scale proof that your gut bugs directly affect menopausal symptoms.

Your microbes change with menopause: Research shows that when oestrogen drops, your gut bacteria shift dramatically—becoming more like a man's microbiome and losing beneficial species. This isn't just interesting science; it explains why many women struggle with weight, mood, and energy during this transition.

Inflammaging isn't inevitable: Recent studies confirm that chronic inflammation in ageing is shaped by environment and lifestyle—not just genetics. Your daily choices measurably shift your inflammatory load.

Omega-3s under the microscope: The "good fats" debate resurfaced, reminding us that context, dose, and baseline status matter. For brain, heart, and menopause health, the takeaway remains the same: don't guess—test.

What This Means for You

Inflammation is a system problem with local symptoms: weight that won't budge, brain fog, poor sleep, reactive skin, peri/menopause swings, and heart disease risk.

Your cells are sending distress signals: When cells become damaged or stressed, they start pumping out inflammatory chemicals. Think of it like a cellular tantrum—they can't function properly, so they create chaos that affects your entire body.

Labs you can action: Rather than chasing endless hacks, run a small set of tests, act on the data, and re-test to confirm improvement.

The Longevity Lab Approach: Assess → Address → Sustain

1) Assess: Turn the Invisible Visible

BalanceTest dried blood spot (at home): Omega-3 Index (% EPA+DHA in red blood cells) and omega-6:omega-3 ratio. Targets: Index >8%; ratio trending toward <3:1.

Core markers to consider with your clinician:

• hs-CRP (systemic inflammation)

• Vitamin D (immune modulation)

• Sleep/stress snapshot

Why it matters: In midlife—especially through peri/menopause—stress hormones run higher and oestrogen's protective effects diminish. Your gut bacteria also shift, losing diversity and beneficial species. Without measuring, you're flying blind.

2) Address: Precision, Not Perfection

Nutrition (anti-inflammatory plate):

• Protein at each meal to stabilise blood sugar

• Coloured plants (polyphenols act like natural anti-inflammatories)

• Omega-3 rich fish or clinically dosed omega-3s

• Reduce ultra-processed foods and seed-oil overload

• Feed your beneficial bacteria: Fibre-rich foods support the gut species that help regulate hormones and inflammation

Targeted supplements:

• Omega-3s (dose to baseline and body weight; re-test at 120 days)

• Gut support (prebiotic fibre blends such as Zinobiotic where appropriate)

• Magnesium + vitamin D as indicated

• Probiotics: Specific strains can help maintain healthy hormone levels during menopause

Lifestyle levers with outsized returns:

• Sleep architecture: protect 10 pm–2 am "repair window"

• Stress regulation: breathwork, sunlight timing, vagal support (e.g., Nurosym)

• Strength training: preserves muscle, insulin sensitivity, and cellular health

• Light exposure: Morning sunlight and evening darkness help regulate your body's repair systems

3) Sustain: Make Results Stick

• Re-test at 120 days to confirm your Omega-3 Index/ratio is moving into the protective zone

• Small, consistent habits: meal rhythm, light anchors (AM sunlight/evening dim light), two strength sessions weekly

• Course-correct: adjust dose and diet based on the re-test—this is where most people win or lose

Menopause, Stress, and Inflammaging: The Hidden Triangle

In menopause, falling oestrogen removes a key anti-inflammatory buffer. It's like losing your body's natural fire extinguisher. At the same time, stress hormones tend to run higher and longer, driving central fat gain and insulin resistance—even at the same calorie intake.

The gut connection: Your gut bacteria help regulate hormone levels, but menopause disrupts this delicate balance. Research shows menopausal women have:

• Lower bacterial diversity

• Fewer beneficial species

• More inflammatory bacteria

• Reduced capacity to metabolise hormones properly

This creates a vicious cycle: hormonal changes disrupt gut health, which makes hormone problems worse.

Fixing sleep and stress biology isn't optional; it's foundational.

Where My Book Fits

In Busting The Code To Ageing, I translate complex immunology into a simple strategy you can apply in real life—assess with the right tests, address with targeted nutrition and protocols, and sustain with a few high-leverage habits. The book includes practical checklists for skin, hormones, gut, and sleep, plus test-based guidance for omega-3s.

Buy the book:

BUY ME

Action Steps This Week

• If you've never measured your status: order an at-home BalanceTest (dried blood spot). You'll get your Omega-3 Index, omega-6:omega-3 ratio, and a personalised plan.

• Set a 120-day horizon: dose omega-3s correctly, align meals and sleep, and re-test to confirm improvement.

• If you're navigating peri/menopause: add hs-CRP and vitamin D with your clinician; protect your sleep window and anchor your light exposure. Consider how gut health might be affecting your symptoms.

• Start simple: pick one anti-inflammatory habit this week and build from there.

Join the Longevity Lab

Inside my Longevity Lab community, we make the science simple and measurable:

• Weekly live sessions (inflammation, hormones, sleep, gut, skin)

• Protocols you can implement in days, not months

• Omega-3 testing guidance, dosing calculators, and re-test support

• NEW: Gut-hormone protocols based on the latest research

• Optional omega-3 side-hustle pathway for those who want to share the journey and build a wellness business

JOIN HERE

Dr Vix Manning is a medical doctor specialising in inflammageing research and the author of "Busting The Code To Ageing: How to Win the Inflammation Game"