Social relationships and physiological determinants of longevity across the human life span

Citation

Yang, Yang Claire; Boen, Courtney; Gerken, Karen; Li, Ting; Schorpp, Kristen; & Harris, Kathleen Mullan (2016). Social relationships and physiological determinants of longevity across the human life span. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. vol. 113 (3) pp. 578-583

Abstract

Two decades of research indicate causal associations between social relationships and mortality, but important questions remain as to how social relationships affect health, when effects emerge, and how long they last. Drawing on data from four nationally representative longitudinal samples of the US population, we implemented an innovative life course design to assess the prospective association of both structural and functional dimensions of social relationships (social integration, social support, and social strain) with objectively measured biomarkers of physical health (C-reactive protein, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, and body mass index) within each life stage, including adolescence and young, middle, and late adulthood, and compare such associations across life stages. We found that a higher degree of social integration was associated with lower risk of physiological dysregulation in a dose–response manner in both early and later life. Conversely, lack of social connections was associated with vastly elevated risk in specific life stages. For example, social isolation increased the risk of inflammation by the same magnitude as physical inactivity in adolescence, and the effect of social isolation on hypertension exceeded that of clinical risk factors such as diabetes in old age. Analyses of multiple dimensions of social relationships within multiple samples across the life course produced consistent and robust associations with health. Physiological impacts of structural and functional dimensions of social relationships emerge uniquely in adolescence and midlife and persist into old age.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.1511085112

Keyword(s)

biomarker

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Author(s)

Yang, Yang Claire
Boen, Courtney
Gerken, Karen
Li, Ting
Schorpp, Kristen
Harris, Kathleen Mullan

Year Published

2016

Volume Number

113

Issue Number

3

Pages

578-583

Edition

January 4, 2016

DOI

10.1073/pnas.1511085112

Reference ID

8068