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Chronic Stress and Latent Virus Reactivation: Effects on Immune Aging, Chronic Disease Morbidity, and Mortality

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  • Eric T Klopack
  • Jessica Kelley

Abstract

ObjectivesSocial stress has been shown to affect immune functioning. Past research has found that chronic social stress and latent viral infections accelerate immune aging, leading to chronic disease morbidity and mortality. Chronic stress may also reactivate latent viral infections, like cytomegalovirus (CMV), accelerating the aging of the immune system.MethodUtilizing panel survey data from 8,995 U.S. adults aged 56 or older from the Health and Retirement Study, this study investigates whether chronic stress interacts with CMV positivity to drive aging of the immune system, multimorbidity, and mortality.ResultsResults of moderated mediation analysis indicate that the effect of CMV positivity on morbidity and mortality as mediated by immune aging indicators is amplified by chronic stress.DiscussionThese findings suggest that immune aging is a biological pathway underlying the stress process and help explain past findings in the literature on stress and health.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric T Klopack & Jessica Kelley, 2023. "Chronic Stress and Latent Virus Reactivation: Effects on Immune Aging, Chronic Disease Morbidity, and Mortality," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 78(10), pages 1707-1716.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:78:y:2023:i:10:p:1707-1716.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbad087
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Simons, Ronald L. & Lei, Man-Kit & Klopack, Eric & Beach, Steven R.H. & Gibbons, Frederick X. & Philibert, Robert A., 2021. "The effects of social adversity, discrimination, and health risk behaviors on the accelerated aging of African Americans: Further support for the weathering hypothesis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
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