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Review
. 2016 Sep:68:928-945.
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.036. Epub 2016 Jul 1.

Aging and the HPA axis: Stress and resilience in older adults

Allison E Gaffey  1 , C S Bergeman  2 , Lee Anna Clark  2 , Michelle M Wirth  2
Affiliations
Review

Aging and the HPA axis: Stress and resilience in older adults

Allison E Gaffey et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function may change over the course of aging, and altered diurnal or stress-induced secretion of the hormone cortisol could predispose older adults to negative health outcomes. We propose that psychological resilience may interact with diurnal cortisol to affect health outcomes later in life. Emotion regulation and social support are two constructs that contribute to resilience and exhibit age-specific patterns in older adults. Determining how the use of resilience resources interacts with age-related diurnal cortisol will improve our understanding of the pathways between stress, resilience, and well-being. In this review, we assess published studies evaluating diurnal cortisol in older adults to better understand differences in their HPA axis functioning. Evidence thus far suggests that diurnal cortisol may increase with age, although cross-sectional studies limit the conclusions that can be drawn. We also review extant evidence connecting age-specific signatures of emotion regulation and social support with diurnal cortisol. Conclusions are used to propose a preliminary model demonstrating how resilience resources may modulate the effects of cortisol on health in aging.

Keywords: Cortisol; Emotion; Emotion regulation; HPA axis; Human; Lifespan; Resilience; Social support; Stress.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The Aging, Stress, and Resilience Model (ASRM). The ASRM depicts pathways between the constructs focused on in this review – aging, chronic stress, diurnal cortisol, psychological resilience, and health outcomes. See text for details.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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