Stress, Adaptation, and Disease: Allostasis and Allostatic Load

Bruce S. McEwen

doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x

journal article May 01, 1998

Stress, Adaptation, and Disease: Allostasis and Allostatic Load

Bruce S. McEwen

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 840 No. 1 pp. 33-44 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x

Abstract

Abstract: Adaptation in the face of potentially stressful challenges involves activation of neural, neuroendocrine and neuroendocrine‐immune mechanisms. This has been called “allostasis” or “stability through change” by Sterling and Eyer (Fisher S., Reason J. (eds): Handbook of Life Stress, Cognition and Health. J. Wiley Ltd. 1988, p. 631), and allostasis is an essential component of maintaining homeostasis. When these adaptive systems are turned on and turned off again efficiently and not too frequently, the body is able to cope effectively with challenges that it might not otherwise survive. However, there are a number of circumstances in which allostatic systems may either be overstimulated or not perform normally, and this condition has been termed “allostatic load” or the price of adaptation (McEwen and Stellar, Arch. Int. Med. 1993; 153:2093.). Allostatic load can lead to disease over long periods. Types of allostatic load include (1) frequent activation of allostatic systems; (2) failure to shut off allostatic activity after stress; (3) inadequate response of allostatic systems leading to elevated activity of other, normally counter‐regulated allostatic systems after stress. Examples will be given for each type of allostatic load from research pertaining to autonomic, CNS, neuroendocrine, and immune system activity. The relationship of allostatic load to genetic and developmental predispositions to disease is also considered.

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Details

Published: May 01, 1998
Vol/Issue: 840(1)
Pages: 33-44
License: View

Authors

B

Bruce S. McEwen

Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Kastor Neurobiology of Aging Laboratories, Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York

Cite This Article

Bruce S. McEwen (1998). Stress, Adaptation, and Disease: Allostasis and Allostatic Load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840(1), 33-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x

Stress, Adaptation, and Disease: Allostasis and Allostatic Load

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