Abstracto
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Objectives—A key aspect of the increasingly popular allostatic load (AL) framework is that stressors experienced over the entire life course result in physiological dysregulation. Although core to AL theory, this idea has been little tested and where it has been tested the results have been mixed.
Methods—We analyze the CRELES, a new, cross-sectional, and nationally representative survey of older Costa Rican men and women (ages 60-109). The survey was conducted in 2004-2006 and has a sample size of 2,827. This paper focuses on the relation between a variety of stressors experienced over the life course and cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), epinephrine, and norepinephrine analyzed separately and in an index.
Results—Some links were found between certain stressors and worse cortisol levels, but overall almost all of the stressors examined were not associated with riskier neuroendocrine biomarker profiles.
Discussion—More work is needed to attempt to establish the connection between stressors experienced over the life course and resting levels of the neuroendocrine markers.