The gender and age perspectives of allostatic load

The role of chronic stress in the development of chronic diseases, especially multimorbidity, through the pathways of increasing allostatic load, and finally, allostatic overload (the state when a compensatory mechanism is likely to fail) is being emphasized. However, allostatic load is a dynamic me...

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Main Authors: Nikola Volarić, Dunja Šojat, Mile Volarić, Ivan Včev, Tanja Keškić, Ljiljana Trtica Majnarić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1502940/full
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author Nikola Volarić
Dunja Šojat
Mile Volarić
Mile Volarić
Ivan Včev
Ivan Včev
Tanja Keškić
Ljiljana Trtica Majnarić
author_facet Nikola Volarić
Dunja Šojat
Mile Volarić
Mile Volarić
Ivan Včev
Ivan Včev
Tanja Keškić
Ljiljana Trtica Majnarić
author_sort Nikola Volarić
collection DOAJ
description The role of chronic stress in the development of chronic diseases, especially multimorbidity, through the pathways of increasing allostatic load, and finally, allostatic overload (the state when a compensatory mechanism is likely to fail) is being emphasized. However, allostatic load is a dynamic measure that changes depending on sex, gender, age, level and type of stress, experience of a stressful situation, and coping behaviors. Many other factors such as race, ethnicity, working environment, lifestyle, and circadian rhythm of sleep are also important. The aim of this paper was to synthesize the available information on allostatic load differences, especially those connected to sex/gender and age, and to provide a model for the future study of allostatic load, with a focus on these differences. By carefully studying allostatic load factors, we realized that many studies do not take this allostatic load difference into account in the analysis methods. In this paper, we also support the idea of further research to develop new allostatic load analysis strategies that will include all knowledge about sex/gender differences and that will, in more detail, explain numerous changeable social and educational factors that are currently accepted as biological ones. Furthermore, specific allostatic load biomarkers are expressed differently in different age groups, indicating that the discrepancies cannot be attributed solely to sex/gender disparities. This kind of approach can be valuable, not only for better explaining the differences in the frequency and age of onset of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, but also for the potential planning and development of preventive actions based on the aforementioned sex/gender and age disaparities, in order to prevent the most frequent diseases and to establish specific biomarker cut-off values for each sex/gender and age group.
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spelling doaj-art-019bfc4d53934017a20d0a32f46cf88b2025-08-20T01:57:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2024-12-011110.3389/fmed.2024.15029401502940The gender and age perspectives of allostatic loadNikola Volarić0Dunja Šojat1Mile Volarić2Mile Volarić3Ivan Včev4Ivan Včev5Tanja Keškić6Ljiljana Trtica Majnarić7Department of Pathophysiology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, CroatiaDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, CroatiaDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, CroatiaDepartment of Interdisciplinary Areas, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, CroatiaDepartment of English and German Studies, Faculty of Education, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, CroatiaDepartment of Biomedicine, Technology and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemistry and Microbiology, Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, CroatiaThe role of chronic stress in the development of chronic diseases, especially multimorbidity, through the pathways of increasing allostatic load, and finally, allostatic overload (the state when a compensatory mechanism is likely to fail) is being emphasized. However, allostatic load is a dynamic measure that changes depending on sex, gender, age, level and type of stress, experience of a stressful situation, and coping behaviors. Many other factors such as race, ethnicity, working environment, lifestyle, and circadian rhythm of sleep are also important. The aim of this paper was to synthesize the available information on allostatic load differences, especially those connected to sex/gender and age, and to provide a model for the future study of allostatic load, with a focus on these differences. By carefully studying allostatic load factors, we realized that many studies do not take this allostatic load difference into account in the analysis methods. In this paper, we also support the idea of further research to develop new allostatic load analysis strategies that will include all knowledge about sex/gender differences and that will, in more detail, explain numerous changeable social and educational factors that are currently accepted as biological ones. Furthermore, specific allostatic load biomarkers are expressed differently in different age groups, indicating that the discrepancies cannot be attributed solely to sex/gender disparities. This kind of approach can be valuable, not only for better explaining the differences in the frequency and age of onset of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, but also for the potential planning and development of preventive actions based on the aforementioned sex/gender and age disaparities, in order to prevent the most frequent diseases and to establish specific biomarker cut-off values for each sex/gender and age group.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1502940/fullageallostatic loadchronic diseasecoping behaviorgendermultimorbidity
spellingShingle Nikola Volarić
Dunja Šojat
Mile Volarić
Mile Volarić
Ivan Včev
Ivan Včev
Tanja Keškić
Ljiljana Trtica Majnarić
The gender and age perspectives of allostatic load
Frontiers in Medicine
age
allostatic load
chronic disease
coping behavior
gender
multimorbidity
title The gender and age perspectives of allostatic load
title_full The gender and age perspectives of allostatic load
title_fullStr The gender and age perspectives of allostatic load
title_full_unstemmed The gender and age perspectives of allostatic load
title_short The gender and age perspectives of allostatic load
title_sort gender and age perspectives of allostatic load
topic age
allostatic load
chronic disease
coping behavior
gender
multimorbidity
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1502940/full
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