Lifetime chronic stress exposures, stress hormones, and biological aging: Results from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.

ABSTRACT: Psychosocial stress and adversity have been linked to accelerated aging and increased risk for age-related diseases. Animal and in vitro studies have shown that exposure to stress hormones (catecholamines, glucocorticoids) can impact biological aging processes such as DNA damage and cellular senescence, suggesting they play a key role in links between stress and aging; however, these associations have not been well investigated in humans. We examined cross-sectional associations between chronic stress exposures, stress hormones, and biological aging markers in midlife adults and whether stress hormones mediated associations between stress and aging. Participants were 531 adults aged 26-78 years (M_age = 53.9, 50.1% female) in the nationally representative Midlife in the United St

SUBMITTER: Hansen JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11874905 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature