Cited by 51Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlCardiac Health and Mental HealthStress Responses and Cortisol

Cumulative stress and autonomic dysregulation in a community sample

Open access
Lampert, Rachel, Tuit, Keri, Hong, Kwang-Ik, Donovan, Theresa, Lee, Forrester, Sinha, Rajita·2016·Stress

Abstract

Whether cumulative stress, including both chronic stress and adverse life events, is associated with decreased heart rate variability (HRV), a non-invasive measure of autonomic status which predicts poor cardiovascular outcomes, is unknown. Healthy community dwelling volunteers (N = 157, mean age 29 years) participated in the Cumulative Stress/Adversity Interview (CAI), a 140-item event interview measuring cumulative adversity including major life events, life trauma, recent life events and chronic stressors, and underwent 24-h ambulatory ECG monitoring. HRV was analyzed in the frequency domain and standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) calculated. Initial simple regression analyses revealed that total cumulative stress score, chronic stressors and cumulative adverse life events (CALE) were all inversely associated with ultra low-frequency (ULF), very low-frequency (VLF) and low-frequency (LF) power and SDNN (all p < 0.05). In hierarchical regression analyses, total cumulative stress and chronic stress each was significantly associated with SDNN and ULF even after the highly significant contributions of age and sex, with no other covariates accounting for additional appreciable variance. For VLF and LF, both total cumulative stress and chronic stress significantly contributed to the variance alone but were not longer significant after adjusting for race and health behaviors. In summary, total cumulative stress, and its components of adverse life events and chronic stress were associated with decreased cardiac autonomic function as measured by HRV. Findings suggest one potential mechanism by which stress may exert adverse effects on mortality in healthy individuals. Primary preventive strategies including stress management may prove beneficial.

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Crossref · 10.1080/10253890.2016.1174847

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  • Despite limitations of retrospective measures, studies relying on retrospective reports of cumulative life stress have shown that lifetime stressor exposure negatively affects health-related processes and outcomes, including autonomic nervous system activity, systemic inflammatory activity, brain structure and function, rates of alcohol use, and physical and mental health status.

    “Despite the limitations of retrospective measures of historical life stress exposure, studies relying on retrospective reports of cumulative life stress have been illuminating in showing that lifetime stressor exposure negatively affects health-related processes and outcomes, including autonomic nervous system activity (Lampert et al., 2016), systemic inflammatory activity (O’Donovan et al., 2012a”

    From More than a feeling: A unified view of stress measurement for population science (2018) · cites this paper as Lampert et al., 2016

    The Discussion (page not provided) reports that greater cumulative stress was associated with reduced heart-rate variability, a measure of cardiac autonomic function. It also says the cross-sectional study cannot establish causality, so the claim that stressor exposure negatively affects autonomic activity is stronger than the finding supports. This citation is attached to autonomic activity, not the other outcomes listed. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [45]First MB Spitzer RL Gibbon M Williams JBW Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders, Research Version, Patient Edition. (SCID-I/P) 2002 New York Biometrics Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute
  2. [46]American Psychiatric Association American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV)-fourth edition 1994 Washington, DC

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Authors
Lampert, R., Tuit, K., Hong, K.-I., Donovan, T., Lee, F., & Sinha, R.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
Lampert, Rachel
Venue
Stress
Published
2016-04-25
Volume
19
Issue
3
Pages
269-279
ISSN
  • 1025-3890 (ISSN-L)
  • 1607-8888
OpenAlex
W2345203854
Cited by
51
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
FWCI
3.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Stress (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (PL1-DA02485 9)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (PL1DA024859)
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (UL1DE019586)
  • National Center for Research Resources
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
cumulative stress, chronic stress, life events, heart rate variability, cardiac autonomic function, autonomic dysfunction, cardiovascular risk, low-frequency power, stress management, primary prevention
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Autonomic Nervous System, Cardiovascular System, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Stress, Psychological, Electrocardiography, Ambulatory, Young Adult

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