Chronic Inflammation May Link Social Disadvantage, Frailty, and Heart Disease: Study
New Delhi: A recent study has found that chronic inflammation may play a key role in connecting social disadvantage, frailty, and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The research, published in the journal Communications Medicine, examined how inflammation-related proteins in the blood may contribute to explaining the connection between poor health and social inequality.
The study analysed blood samples from more than 2,000 women aged 37 to 84. Researchers looked at 74 different proteins linked to inflammation to see how they related to frailty, social deprivation, and heart disease risk.
They discovered 10 proteins that were associated with both frailty and living in socially deprived areas. Among these, four proteins—TNFSF14, HGF, CDCP1, and CCL11—were also connected to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. These proteins are known to be involved in key biological functions like cell growth, movement, and communication.
One of the proteins, CDCP1, stood out as being significantly linked to future heart disease events, such as the narrowing or blockage of arteries. This suggests that these inflammation-related proteins could be biological markers that help connect the dots between ageing, social hardship, and heart problems.
Dr. Yu Lin, a Research Associate at King's College London, explained, “To better understand how frailty and deprivation contribute to heart disease, we took a data-driven approach. By identifying biological markers linked to both social and health vulnerabilities, we uncovered a potential shared pathway between these risk factors.”
To ensure their results were reliable, the research team also validated their findings in a separate group of women.
Dr. Cristina Menni, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Epidemiology, added, “Frailty, social disadvantage, and heart disease often go hand in hand, but we don’t fully understand the biological links between them. Our study suggests that the stress caused by socioeconomic hardship may trigger harmful inflammation that damages health over time.”
These findings open the door to new strategies for disease prevention. Medical treatments that target inflammation, combined with social policies that address inequality, could work together to reduce the risk of heart disease—especially in vulnerable groups.
In the future, these inflammatory proteins might also help doctors identify people who are at greater risk of cardiovascular problems, allowing for earlier and more targeted interventions.
Kanchan Chaurasiya joined Medical Dialogues in 2025 as a Media and Marketing Intern. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Arts from Delhi University and has completed certifications in digital marketing. She has a strong interest in health news, content creation, hospital updates, and emerging trends. At Medical Dialogues, Kanchan manages social media and also creates web stories to enhance mobile content reach and audience engagement.