Allostatic load: a mechanism of socioeconomic health disparities?
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TLDR
The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the construct of allostatic load and the published studies that employ it in an effort to understand whether the construct can be useful in quantifying health disparities.Abstract:
Although research on health disparities has been prioritized by the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Medicine, and Healthy People 2010, little has been published that examines the biology underlying health disparities. Allostatic load is a multisystem construct theorized to quantify stress-induced biological risk. Differences in allostatic load may reflect differences in stress exposure and thus provide a mechanistic link to understanding health disparities. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the construct of allostatic load and the published studies that employ it in an effort to understand whether the construct can be useful in quantifying health disparities. The published literature demonstrates that allostatic load is elevated in those of low socioeconomic status (SES) as compared to those of high SES. The reviewed articles vary in the justification for inclusion of variables. Recommendations for future research are made in the contexts of measurement, methodology, and racial composition of participants.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress and impact on health and cognition.
TL;DR: This article reviews theoretical and empirical work using the allostatic load model vis-à-vis the effects of chronic stress on physical and mental health and proposes policies for promoting successful aging.
Journal ArticleDOI
A Systematic Review of Allostatic Load, Health, and Health Disparities
TL;DR: This systematic review examines the empirical literature that quantifies the allostasis and allostatic load construct and evaluates the social, environmental, and genetic antecedents of AL as well as its predictive utility for a variety of health outcomes.
Journal ArticleDOI
The effects of chronic stress on the human brain: From neurotoxicity, to vulnerability, to opportunity.
TL;DR: Modelling the roles that neurotoxic and vulnerability effects can have on the developing brain suggest that developing early stress interventions could potentially counteract the effects of chronic stress on the brain.
Journal ArticleDOI
Allostatic load burden and racial disparities in mortality.
TL;DR: Allostatic load burden partially explains higher mortality among blacks, independent of SES and health behaviors, and underscores the importance of chronic physiologic stressors as a negative influence on the health and lifespan of blacks in the United States.
References
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