How does inflammation impact heart health?
Many may already be familiar with the importance of managing LDL cholesterol — the “bad cholesterol” — to lessen the risk of heart disease and stroke.
But now, a Hawaiʻi based health science company is highlighting a new blood test — one that measures inflammation's impact on aging, or “inflammaging."
David Watumull is the co-founder of Lokahi Longevity, a Honolulu-based clinic focused on the science behind aging. They recently launched a program advocating for blood tests that measure high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP; a marker for inflammation.
According to the American College of Cardiology, hs-CRP is “a particularly strong predator of cardiovascular risk,” which is why Lokahi Longevity has begun working to make the test widely available to Hawaiʻi residents.
“What they found was that if you could lower hs-CRP along with your cholesterol to designated levels, that you could reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, or MACE for short, by 44%,” Watamull told HPR.
He hopes that increased access to hs-CRP screening, which is already recommended universally by the ACC, raises additional awareness for the health impacts of inflammation.
“I think that a lot of people are paying attention to the role of inflammation in aging,” or, as Watamull puts it, “inflammaging.”
More information about the hs-CRP test and other services offered through Lokahi Longevity can be found at their website here.
This story aired on The Conversation on June 9, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
