Allostatic Load, Morbidity, and Mortality Among Older Adults: A Multi-Wave Analysis From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

ABSTRACT: Although allostatic load (AL) is a key concept to reflect physiologic wear and tear from stress, older adults are underrepresented in AL-related research, especially the oldest old (≥80). Further, attenuative factors are often unaccounted for. This longitudinal analysis using data from National Health and Aging Trends Study investigated relationships of AL in 2017 and multi-wave (1) comorbidity accumulation using multilevel Poisson modeling and (2) mortality risk using survival analysis. By year five (2022), each incremental AL increase that older adults (n = 3614) experienced was associated with a 47% increase in comorbidity (p < .001), and a 33% increased mortality risk (p < .001). This research supports a shift to a more proactive, health promotion/risk mitigation p

SUBMITTER: Polick CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11291700 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature