IL-6 is an inflammatory marker that should be tracked and charted in South Asians. new proteomic study from the University of Leicester found 375 proteins that differ by ethnicity between South Asians and White Europeans. 464 proteins were linked to physical activity levels. But in the validation cohort, people with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia (think insulin resistance/low beta cell fxn) tracked over 4 years with accelerometers, only one protein survived: IL-6. It was the single protein significantly tied to physical activity across both ethnic groups. People who increased their daily steps saw IL-6 drop. And specific proteins like CCL28, CCL15, FABP1, and AMY2A confirmed what we at Zinda have been discussing for some time: South Asians carry a distinct inflammatory and metabolic proteotype that differs at the immune pathway level. This is the first proteomic basis for why South Asians run hotter, metabolically, even when standard labs look "normal." And IL-6 is a lever. So what does it mean? - Set a daily floor of 8,000-10,000 steps. Not for weight loss, as an anti-inflammatory measure. - Ask your doctor to measure hs-CRP or IL-6 at baseline. This gives you a number to track. - Retest in 90 days. You're not checking your weight. You're checking your biological response to movement. - If IL-6 stays elevated despite consistent steps, dig deeper...look at sleep, visceral fat, or options like low-dose colchicine. -The standard advice says "exercise reduces inflammation." This study says something more specific: South Asians carry ethnicity-specific immune signatures that make daily movement not optional but essential, and IL-6 is the marker that proves it's working. more on this on the blog this week. study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352396425004505?via%3Dihub#fig2