Allostatic load differs by sex and diet, but not age in older Japanese from the Goto Islands.

AbstractBackground: Lifelong exposure to stressors promotes physiological dysregulation and produces an allostatic load (AL). In European-derived samples, AL associates significantly with sex, age and health.Aim: To assess associations of AL with age, sex, socio-demographic differences and self-reports of diet and ability to complete activities of daily living in older Japanese residing in rural Nagasaki Prefecture.Subjects and methods: In 2011, 96 older residents of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, were assessed for components of AL. They also self-reported their age, principal life-long occupational activity, educational attainments, marital status, dietary choices and abilities to complete daily living activities.Results: Average age was 67.9 years (range = 55–89; SD = 8.65). Among these 48 men and 48 women, AL was not related significantly to age, although women showed lower AL than men. AL did not differ significantly between respondents by occupation, marital status, education or abilities to complete da...