What is inflammation index?
Inflammation is a natural part of how the body protects and repairs itself. When you cut your finger or catch a cold, the immune system sends signals that bring healing cells to the area, then the response settles. Sometimes, a low level of inflammation stays switched on across the body for long periods. This is often called systemic or chronic low-grade inflammation, and it is widely studied in research on aging and long-term health.
How your genes play a role
Clinicians often measure inflammation through blood proteins such as CRP, C-reactive protein, and IL-6, interleukin 6, a signaling molecule of the immune system. Researchers have found DNA methylation patterns that track closely with these markers. Methylation proxies can therefore estimate your inflammatory profile from your epigenome. Because methylation tends to reflect longer-term states, these proxies may be less affected by a short-term infection than a single blood test.
Low-grade inflammation rarely announces itself. You may not feel it, yet research links it with many aspects of aging. Understanding your inflammatory profile gives you context for how your body is coping with the demands of daily life. It can help you and your clinician consider sleep, food, movement and stress together, and decide whether conventional blood tests might add useful detail to the picture.
What your report shows
Your Inflammation Index results are explained in plain language in your private EvoDNA account, alongside the other areas in your kit.
- Inflammation estimateAn index of systemic inflammation based on methylation patterns linked with inflammatory markers.
- CRP proxyA methylation-based estimate related to C-reactive protein, a common inflammation marker.
- IL-6 proxyA methylation-based estimate related to interleukin 6, an immune signaling molecule.
- Change over timeWith repeat testing, how your inflammatory profile responds to changes in your routine.
Each result comes with a plain-language explanation and practical points to discuss with your clinician.
Illustration only. Your report reflects your own genetic results.
Putting results to use
Many people use their results as a starting point for conversations with their clinician about:
Vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains are often discussed in relation to inflammation.
Moderate, consistent activity is commonly linked with healthier inflammatory markers.
Short or disrupted sleep is often linked with raised inflammation, so rest is a common focus.
Practices that calm the stress response may also support a balanced immune system.
Questions
Is inflammation always bad?
No. Short bursts of inflammation are essential for healing and fighting infection. The focus here is on low-grade inflammation that lingers over time.
How is this different from a CRP blood test?
A blood test measures the protein directly at one moment. A methylation proxy estimates your inflammatory profile from epigenetic patterns, which may reflect a longer period.
Does a high result mean I am ill?
Not necessarily. It is an estimate, not a diagnosis. Your clinician can help you interpret it and decide whether further tests would be useful.
