A scoping review of interventions targeting allostatic load

Area of Science:

• Integrative biology and medicine
• Stress physiology and psychoneuroendocrinology
• Public health and preventative medicine

Background:

• Allostatic load (AL) quantifies cumulative physiological responses to chronic stress.
• AL is recognized for its association with increased disease risk.
• Limited research exists on interventions specifically designed to target and reduce AL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and evaluate existing interventions aimed at reducing allostatic load.
• To assess the effectiveness of these interventions in improving biological functioning.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across five electronic databases for studies on AL interventions.
• Inclusion criteria focused on original research reporting AL as a primary outcome.
• Intervention critique and synthesis guided by the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist.

Main Results:

• Six studies met the inclusion criteria, with intervention sample sizes ranging from 2 to 733 participants.
• Despite variations in AL indicators and scoring, all four major body systems were represented.
• Four interventions demonstrated statistically significant reductions in AL scores, with some effects observed as early as 7 weeks.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest that allostatic load is a sensitive biological outcome measure responsive to interventions.
• The observed reduction in AL scores indicates the potential efficacy of targeted interventions.
• Further research is warranted to explore AL as a mediator in intervention effects on clinical disease manifestations.