Cumulative Lifespan Stress, Inflammation, and Racial Disparities in Mortality Between Black and White Adults

Are elevated cumulative stress across the lifespan and inflammation associated with racial disparities in mortality between Black and White populations?Within this longitudinal cohort study of 1554 individuals, greater cumulative stress across the lifespan and higher inflammation partially mediated elevated mortality among Black participants.These findings suggest that heightened cumulative stress and elevated inflammation are plausible mechanisms through which mortality disparities arise between Black and White individuals; there is a continued need for preventions, interventions, and policies that limit stress exposure and its potential impacts on health to reduce racial disparities in mortality.

Corresponding Author: Ryan Bogdan, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, Somers Family Hall, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1125, St Louis, MO 63130 (rbogdan@wustl.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.