Healthy Aging & Remission at All Ages

Healthy aging means maintaining good physical, mental and social health.  

For people with chronic inflammatory conditions, healthy aging can be more challenging – but even more important. This September, Healthy Aging Month, the Global Remission Coalition is recognizing the value of remission at all ages.   

Inflammatory Conditions Impact All Ages 

Chronic inflammatory conditions can impact people at any point in life. Inflammatory bowel disease – including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – is most often diagnosed between ages 15 and 35. Inflammatory skin conditions frequently first appear in adolescence or adulthood. And inflammatory forms of arthritis can develop at any age, including, unbeknown to most in wider society, children and young adults.  

When symptoms like joint pain, stiffness, flare-ups and fatigue are dismissed as a normal part of getting older, serious conditions can go unrecognized. And treatment that may preserve long-term health gets delayed.  

Healthy Aging Starts Early 

Aging unfolds across the whole life course. If inflammatory conditions can start early, so must the process of aging well. The choices, care and access available to someone in their 20s, 30s and 40s help shape the health they carry into their 60s and beyond.  

That is why the World Health Organization urges a life-course approach: start early to build and protect functional ability. For people living with inflammatory conditions, this means recognizing symptoms sooner, seeking specialty care without delay and gaining timely access to quality treatment. For rheumatic conditions, there is a well-documented three-month “window of opportunity” where early treatment can prevent joint damage and disability before it becomes irreversible. Acting within this window can change the trajectory of the disease and promote healthy aging.  

Chronic inflammatory diseases disproportionately impact women, especially as they age. The GRC explored this life-course view in a recent discussion titled “When Healthy Aging Can’t Wait,” where advocates underscored that aging begins long before older adulthood and early diagnosis is especially crucial for women with inflammatory conditions.  

Pursuing Remission Matters 

Healthy aging often occurs when early action leads to remission. Remission is a matter of alleviating pain and symptoms, but it goes beyond the physical symptoms. Remission offers the opportunity to regain independence, re-enter the workforce, get back into hobbies or spend more time with family. Remission helps improve quality of life and mental health.  

Across conditions, remission is increasingly recognized as an achievable goal and a shared priority in inflammatory conditions. A growing body of evidence supports its value, and the GRC continues to make the case for early intervention and the pursuit of remission in health systems and policy decisions.  

Healthy aging cannot wait for old age to begin, and neither can the pursuit of remission. Recognizing inflammatory conditions early, treating them promptly and keeping remission in reach is crucial.  

Remission is a chance to age healthier.