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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #215550
Title: Allostatic Load: Definition and Relation to Disability in Hispanic Elders

Author
item BASSETT MIDLE, JENNIFER - TUFTS-NEMC
item CASTANEDA-SCEPPA, CARMEN - JM USDA HNRCA WITH TUFTS
item FALCON, LUIS - NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
item Tucker, Katherine

Submitted to: Gerontological Society of America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/9/2007
Publication Date: 10/1/2007
Citation: Bassett Midle, J., Castaneda-Sceppa, C., Falcon, L.M., Tucker, K. 2007. Allostatic Load: Definition and Relation to Disability in Hispanic Elders. In: Gerontological Scoiety of America 60th Annual Scientific Meeting. Philadelphia, PA. November 18-20, 2007. 47:I&II.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Health disparities among minority populations are important problems that may become amplified with age, contributing to development of physical disability. Surveys of Puerto Ricans in the US mainland have consistently shown high rates of disability. One hypothesis for this is lifelong exposure to stress that translates into "allostatic load" (AL). This construct, used by the MacArthur Aging Studies, includes measures of function in the cardiovascular, sympathetic nervous and hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal systems. However, optimal cutoff points for defining the score remain inconclusive. We used several methods to calculate AL, including published cutoff values from the MacArthur Aging Studies, 75th percentiles, and clinical cutoffs. In addition, we examined each with and without C-reactive protein (CRP), in relation to Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score in a group of 1020 Puerto Rican adults, aged 45-75 y. All measures of AL were significantly associated with ADL score, after adjustment for several potential confounders (P<0.001). Use of MacArthur cutoffs revealed higher levels of allostatic load in this population, relative to their studies. However, within our Puerto Rican sample, associations with ADL were strongest when clinical cutoffs + CRP were used. Correlations ranged from 0.14 (MacArthur) to 0.25 (clinical cutoffs + CRP). Using the latter, each point of allostatic load (range 0-9) was associated with a 27% greater likelihood of at least 1 ADL difficulty. Agreement on measurement construction could improve cross study comparisons and the understanding of this measure of physiological burden of stress and its role in health disparities.