Beyond the Stress Concept: Allostatic Load—A Developmental Biological and Cognitive Perspective

Lupien, Sonia J.; Ouellet‐Morin, Isabelle; Hupbach, Almut; Tu, Mai Thanh; Buß, Claudia; Walker, Dominique; Pruessner, Jens C.; McEwen, Bruce S.

doi:10.1002/9780470939390.ch14

Cited by 101 publications

(123 citation statements)

References 392 publications

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Section: Methods Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stressful early life experiences may negatively impact the developing HPA axis, altering responsiveness toward over-or underactivity as well as reducing resilience (Lupien et al, 2006;McEwen, 1998bMcEwen, , 2003McEwen, , 2012McEwen & Seeman, 1999). By producing life-long dysregulation of stress responses (Lupien et al, 2006;McEwen, 1998bMcEwen, , 2000aMcEwen, , 2000bMcEwen, , 2001McEwen, , 2003McEwen, , 2012 load associates significantly with greater perceived stress (Goldman et al, 2005), hostility (Kubzansky, Kawachi, & Sparrow, 1999;Seeman et al, 2002), poor coping skills (Fernandez et al, 2015), and lack of purpose in life (Zilioli et al, 2015). Conversely, those with more integrated social networks and/or greater perceived social support appear to be protected against damaging after effects of stressors and dysregulation of allostasis (Bovard, 1985;Cohen & Wills, 1985;Goldman et al, 2005; Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010;Horan & Widom, 2015;Hostinar, Sullivan, & Gunnar, 2014;House, Landis, & Umberson, 1988;Levine, Coe, & Wiener, 1989;McEwen, 2012;Seeman, 1996;Seeman et al, 1994Seeman et al, , 2002Seeman, Glei, et al, 2004;Seeman & McEwen, 1996;Smith & Christakis, 2008;Uchino, 2006;Uchino, Cacioppo, & Kiecolt-Gla...…”

Section: Methods Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis' first response is releasing corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus into the anterior pituitary, stimulating release of adrenocorticotropin-releasing hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary into systemic circulation (Charmandari, Tsigos, & Chrousos, 2005;Everly & Lating, 2013;Lupien et al, 2006;Meaney et al, 1991;Seaward, 2006;Selye, 1936Selye, , 1956. ACTH then induces release of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids into systemic circulation from the adrenal cortices (Charmandari et al, 2005;Everly & Lating, 2013;Seaward, 2006;Selye, 1956).…”

Section: S T R E S S R E S P O N S E P H Y S Iol O G Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Allostatic load and biological anthropology

Edes

Crews

2017

American J Phys Anthropol

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Multiple stressors affect developing and adult organisms, thereby partly structuring their phenotypes. Determining how stressors influence health, well-being, and longevity in human and nonhuman primate populations are major foci within biological anthropology. Although much effort has been devoted to examining responses to multiple environmental and sociocultural stressors, no holistic metric to measure stress-related physiological dysfunction has been widely applied within biological anthropology. Researchers from disciplines outside anthropology are using allostatic load indices (ALIs) to estimate such dysregulation and examine life-long outcomes of stressor exposures, including morbidity and mortality. Following allostasis theory, allostatic load represents accumulated physiological and somatic damage secondary to stressors and senescent processes experienced over the lifespan. ALIs estimate this wear-and-tear using a composite of biomarkers representing neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems. Across samples, ALIs are associated significantly with multiple individual characteristics (e.g., age, sex, education, DNA variation) of interest within biological anthropology. They also predict future outcomes, including aspects of life history variation (e.g., survival, lifespan), mental and physical health, morbidity and mortality, and likely health disparities between groups, by stressor exposures, ethnicity, occupations, and degree of departure from local indigenous life ways and integration into external and commodified ones. ALIs also may be applied to similar stress-related research areas among nonhuman primates. Given the reports from multiple research endeavors, here we propose ALIs may be useful for assessing stressors, stress responses, and stress-related dysfunction, current and long-term cognitive function, health and well-being, and risk of early mortality across many research programs within biological anthropology. K E Y W O R D Saging, allostasis, frailty, growth and development, nonhuman primates, senescence, stress | I N T R O D U C T I O NTraditional research foci within biological anthropology include variations in stress, morbidity, and mortality (for reviews, see Ice & James, 2007;Little, 2010). Despite this long-term focus, the field continues to pursue a reliable, relatively easy to apply metric for assessing lifetime stress and stress-related outcomes. We suggest incorporating the theory of allostasis and methods for assessing allostatic load within anthropological theory and methodology to aid in closing this gap. As a theory, allostasis was developed to explain how mammalian physiological responses to stressors in their environments evolved to maximize the probability of survival while limiting somatic damage (Korte, Koolhaas, Wingfield, & McEwen, 2005;McEwen & Stellar, 1993;McEwen & Wingfield, 2003;Sterling, 2004Sterling, , 2012Sterling & Eyer, 1988). Unfortunately, such beneficial defensive responses come at a cost and, over time, repeated allostatic activi...

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Section: Methods Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methods Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: S T R E S S R E S P O N S E P H Y S Iol O G Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Allostatic load and biological anthropology

Edes

Crews

2017

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…When stress is measured comprehensively, that is, major life events, chronic strains, and challenges/hassles, the effects on health and well-being are considerable (Thoits, 2010). To better understand the stress–health link, researchers have articulated the pathways through which environmental demands, stress appraisal processes, and resistance resources result in stress physiology that can lead to adverse mental and physical health outcomes (Lupien et al, 2006; McEwen, 1998). Physiological stress responses are essential for mobilizing the resources needed to deal with a current threat.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trait Stress Resistance and Dynamic Stress Dissipation on Health and Well-Being: The Reservoir Model

Bergeman

Deboeck

2014

Research in Human Development

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Daily data from the NDHWB (n = 783; age range 37–90) were analyzed to produce ‘dynamic characteristic’ estimates of stress input and dissipation. These were used in multi-level modeling (with age and trait stress resistance) to predict depression and health trajectories. Main effects suggest that dissipation and stress resistance predict lower depression and better health, but lower stress input was only related to lower depression. Interactions revealed that subjects with above average stress resistance had lower depression irrespective of their ability to dissipate stress, but for individuals low in trait resistance those with better stress dissipation show lower depression and better health.

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“…The primary stress mediators lead to changes in cardiovascular (catecholamines), metabolic (glucocorticoids), immune (glucocorticoids and catecholamines) systems and brain (glucocorticoids and catecholamines). Consequently, this leads to an increase of waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and decrease of insulin, immune capacity and glucose tolerance (secondary outcomes) resulting in, cardiovascular disease, severe cognitive decline, diabetes, hypertension and cancer (tertiary outcomes) in the long run (5). With the onset of a disease (acute, episodic or chronic), an employee has an option of taking sick leave (sickness absenteeism) or to come to work despite of the illness (sickness presenteeism).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%