This could be a longer post but my main point is that the possibility of discordance between common inflammatory metrics such as hsCRP and IL-6 and empirical systemic or even localized inflammation might increase significantly with aging.
I began looking into this after obtaining a GlycA test which I believed would provide independent confirmatory evidence of low systemic inflammation based on my hsCRP value of 0.20 and my IL-6 value of <2.5 (as low as the lab reported out).
While not completely discordant, the GlycA test was not fully confirmatory. My GlycA reading was 375, which suggests an approximate crosswalk to an hsCRP of ~1.0 (there are weaknesses in this kind of crosswalk; it is only for illustrative purposes).
According to what I have been able to learn so far, the discordance from CRP is almost certain to be in the false negative direction; i.e., low or normal CRP with normal or high GlycA.
This is the point at which the discussion becomes more complex and rests partially on the basis for the GlycA metrics and on individual differences and profiles. I’ll get back to it when I have summarized a great deal of information. Meanwhile, others may have information or observations in this point.