Allostatic load and biological anthropology

Area of Science:

• Biological anthropology
• Human and primate biology
• Physiological stress research

Background:

• Multiple stressors impact organismal phenotypes, health, and longevity.
• Biological anthropology extensively studies stressor influences but lacks a holistic physiological dysfunction metric.
• Allostatic load indices (ALIs) are used in other fields to quantify cumulative physiological damage from stressors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the application of Allostatic Load Indices (ALIs) within biological anthropology.
• To highlight ALIs as a tool for assessing stress-related physiological dysfunction.
• To explore the utility of ALIs in understanding health, well-being, and longevity in human and nonhuman primates.

Main Methods:

• ALIs estimate physiological wear-and-tear using biomarkers from neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems.
• ALIs integrate data on accumulated damage from stressors and aging processes.
• Analysis involves correlating ALIs with individual characteristics and life history outcomes.

Main Results:

• ALIs correlate significantly with individual characteristics like age, sex, education, and DNA variation.
• ALIs predict outcomes such as survival, lifespan, mental/physical health, and morbidity.
• ALIs show potential for identifying health disparities linked to stressor exposures and cultural integration.

Conclusions:

• ALIs provide a valuable, holistic metric for physiological stress dysregulation in biological anthropology.
• ALIs can assess current/long-term cognitive function, health, well-being, and mortality risk.
• The application of ALIs extends to research on nonhuman primates, offering comparative insights into stress responses.