When I wrote my book, The Midlife Cyclist, the word inflammation appeared in almost every chapter. I became concerned that its overuse was starting to diminish its importance. In early drafts, I made the point that just as Inuit people have many words for snow, so clinicians and research academics need a whole raft of separate terms for the incidence and effects of inflammation. I forget why this reference never made it to the final draft. It probably should have.
I have columns and even tried to define this demonically slippery word in a recent vitamins and supplements article. In short, I am way overdue pinning the tail on this particularly perplexing donkey. So here goes.
