Cited by 138Stress Responses and CortisolHealth disparities and outcomesEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 305 of the 306 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 15 of the 167 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Allostatic load and biological anthropology

Open access
Edes, Ashley N., Crews, Douglas E.·2017·American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Abstract

Multiple stressors affect developing and adult organisms, thereby partly structuring their phenotypes. Determining how stressors influence health, well-being, and longevity in human and nonhuman primate populations are major foci within biological anthropology. Although much effort has been devoted to examining responses to multiple environmental and sociocultural stressors, no holistic metric to measure stress-related physiological dysfunction has been widely applied within biological anthropology. Researchers from disciplines outside anthropology are using allostatic load indices (ALIs) to estimate such dysregulation and examine life-long outcomes of stressor exposures, including morbidity and mortality. Following allostasis theory, allostatic load represents accumulated physiological and somatic damage secondary to stressors and senescent processes experienced over the lifespan. ALIs estimate this wear-and-tear using a composite of biomarkers representing neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems. Across samples, ALIs are associated significantly with multiple individual characteristics (e.g., age, sex, education, DNA variation) of interest within biological anthropology. They also predict future outcomes, including aspects of life history variation (e.g., survival, lifespan), mental and physical health, morbidity and mortality, and likely health disparities between groups, by stressor exposures, ethnicity, occupations, and degree of departure from local indigenous life ways and integration into external and commodified ones. ALIs also may be applied to similar stress-related research areas among nonhuman primates. Given the reports from multiple research endeavors, here we propose ALIs may be useful for assessing stressors, stress responses, and stress-related dysfunction, current and long-term cognitive function, health and well-being, and risk of early mortality across many research programs within biological anthropology.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review argues that allostatic load indices (ALIs) offer a holistic, multisystem biomarker measure of cumulative stress-related physiological dysregulation for biological anthropology. It summarizes human and nonhuman primate evidence and proposes ALIs for research on development, health, morbidity/mortality, and primate welfare.

Key findings

  • The original ALI operationalized by Seeman et al. (1997) used 10 biomarkers across neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and metabolic systems, scoring each individual 0–10 based on how many biomarkers fell in the highest-risk quartile.
  • ALIs typically include 8–14 biomarkers, though some use as few as 2 or as many as 18; Juster et al. (2010) counted 51 different biomarkers across 58 research reports.
  • Across samples, higher allostatic load is associated with older age, lower SES/education, poorer physical performance, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cognitive decline, and increased mortality risk; associations with sex and stressful events are sample-dependent.
  • In an illustrative captive western lowland gorilla ALI using seven biomarkers (albumin, cortisol, CRH, DHEA-S, glucose, IL-6, TNF-a), females had twofold higher allostatic load than males; allostatic load was associated with age, lifetime stressful events, creatinine, triglycerides, and mortality risk when age was included as a covariate.

Methods

  • Narrative review and synthesis of allostasis theory, stress-response physiology, ALI construction, and applications across human and nonhuman primate research; no new primary data were collected.
  • Reviews methodological variation in ALIs, including quartile vs. decile vs. clinical cut-points, medication adjustments, sex-specific cut-points, two-tailed cut-points, z-score comparisons, and scoring by system vs. biomarker.
  • Uses published examples, including the authors’ gorilla ALI studies (Edes et al., 2016a, 2016b), to illustrate possible applications in biological anthropology.

Limitations

  • The paper states there is no “gold standard” ALI: different biomarkers and construction methods are used, and ALIs from different samples are not directly comparable because they rely on sample-specific distributions and risk criteria.
  • The paper states clinical cut-points are problematic for subclinical risk assessment and for non-Western populations, and that childhood ALIs are challenging because developmental changes in stress-mediating systems are not necessarily linear.
  • Evident from the text: this is a narrative review rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis, and its proposals for broader ALI use in biological anthropology and nonhuman primates are not yet empirically tested across most of the discussed contexts.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/ajpa.23146

Cites

305 of 305 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

37 Not checked yet · 34 Own interpretation · 32 No basis given · 20 Sources not found · 19 No full text of the sources · 6 Partly supported · 5 Own result · 3 Supported so far · 2 Supported · accuracy not yet measured

Verify all 24 references — free account

Show all 81 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 50
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 41
77 of 77
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Multiple stressors affect developing and adult organisms and partly structure their phenotypes.

    “Multiple stressors affect developing and adult organisms, thereby partly structuring their phenotypes.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Allostatic load is a latent variable that cannot be measured directly.

    “Allostatic load is a latent variable and, as such, it cannot be measured directly.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Biomarker composites representing multiple neurophysiological systems accurately reflect somatic dysregulation over time.

    “ALIs are composites of biomarkers specific to different neurophysiological systems that tend to accurately reflect somatic dysregulation over time.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The intent of determining ALIs is to assess sub-clinical risk.

    “Following along the same vein, theoretically the intent of determining ALIs is to assess sub-clinical risk, therefore using clinical cutpoints for constructing an ALI is potentially problematic.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Allostasis represents current somatic physiological functioning and overall allostatic load is proposed to assess subclinical risks for current and future health losses.

    “Theoretically, allostasis represents current somatic physiological functioning and one's overall allostatic load is proposed to assess subclinical risks for current and future health losses.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    With increasing age, most individuals likely experience more stressful events than those of younger ages.

    “In addition, with increasing age, most individuals likely experience more stressful events than those of younger ages.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Allostasis is an aspect of life history, evolved to help maintain progress toward additional life history events while coping with external stressors.

    “Allostasis is an aspect of life history, evolved to help maintain progress toward additional life history events while coping”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Developmental changes in stress-mediating systems are not necessarily linear.

    “Developmental changes in stress-mediating systems are not necessarily linear, so how allostatic load is applied may need to vary depending on whether participants are infants, children, or adolescents”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Extreme stressors tend to leave physical, psychological, and physiological scars regardless of age of onset.

    “Regardless of their age of onset, extreme stressors tend to leave physical, psychological, and physiological scars on our somas.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Humans are particularly sensitive to stressors occurring during periods of growth and development.

    “Humans are particularly sensitive to stressors occurring during periods of growth and development.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The HPA axis of children exposed to severe stressors early in life may be significantly altered, showing quickly triggered or dampened responses to psychosocial interactions, affecting multiple biomarkers reflective of impaired allostasis.

    “The HPA axis of children who are exposed to severe stressors early in their lives may be so significantly altered that they show either quickly triggered or dampened responses to psychosocial interactions, affecting multiple biomarkers reflective of impaired allostasis.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Currently, across multiple research and zoo-settings, sufficient data on measures of primate physiology are available to construct ALIs.

    “Currently, across multiple research and zoo-settings, sufficient data on measures of primate physiology are available to construct ALIs.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Allostatic responses to stressors are influenced by exposures during both intrauterine and postuterine life.

    “Allostatic responses to stressors are influenced by exposures during both intrauterine and postuterine life.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Consensus suggests composites used to assess allostatic load are most informative when they include biomarkers representing at least the neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems, but are not overweighted within any single physiological system.

    “Currently, consensus suggests composites used to assess allostatic load are most informative when they include biomarkers representing at least the neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems, but are not overweighted within any single physiological system.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Stress responses are an integral component of group living, interacting with conspecifics, and life history.

    “stress responses are an integral component of group living, interacting with conspecifics, and life history.”
15 of 15

Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 12

  1. Baker P. T., 1986, The changing samoans: Health and behavior in transition
  2. 10.1037/0735-7044.103.2.235 · DOI
  3. Crews D. E., 2003, Abstracts of the 28th annual meeting of the human biology association, 257
  4. Flinn M. V., 2008, Evolutionary medicine and health: New perspectives, 242
  5. Kuzawa C. W., 2008, Evolutionary medicine and health: New perspectives, 325
  6. McDade T. W., 2007, A practical guide to measuring stress in the field, 181
  7. Nadler R. D., 1986, Comparative primate biology: Behavior, conservation, and ecology, 363
  8. Nelson R. J., 2011, An introduction to behavioral endocriniology
  9. Robbins M. M., 2007, Primates in perspective, 305
  10. Roberts D. F., 1960, Human growth, 59
  11. Seaward B. L., 2006, Physiology of stress. Managing stress principles and strategies for health and well being, 35
  12. WHO, 2006, Global database on body mass index

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Metadata

Authors
Edes, A. N., & Crews, D. E.
Affiliations
The Ohio State University (US)
Corresponding author
Crews, Douglas E.
Venue
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2017-01
Volume
162
Issue
S63
Pages
44-70
ISSN
  • 0002-9483 (ISSN-L)
  • 1096-8644
OpenAlex
W2573267323
Cited by
130
References
306
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 9
FWCI
5.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • American Journal of Physical Anthropology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords
allostatic load index, allostasis, stressors, physiological dysregulation, biomarkers, non-human primates, health and well-being, morbidity and mortality, life history, health disparities, cognitive function, stress response
MeSH terms
Anthropology, Physical, Homeostasis, Humans, Stress, Physiological, Allostasis

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