title: Life course socioeconomic status and longitudinal accumulation of allostatic load in adulthood: multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the association of childhood and adult socioeconomic status with longitudinal change in allostatic load (AL), a measure of biological dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample included 6135 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, aged 45 to 84 years, recruited in 2000 from 6 US counties; 3 follow-up examinations took place through September 2011. We calculated standardized scores for several metabolic and cardiovascular components relative to accepted clinical cut points for "higher risk" and then summed them to create an overall index of AL. We used mixed effects growth curve models to assess the relationship between socioeconomic status and AL as a linear function of time passed since the baseline examination; we included random effects for the intercept and slope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among those with lower baseline AL (< median), high adult education was associated with a significantly slower increase in AL over time, whereas there was no significant association among those with higher baseline AL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between socioeconomic status and patterns of change in health parameters may vary over time and with the accumulation of biological risk.
authors: At the time of this study, Sharon Stein Merkin, Arun Karlamangla, and Teresa E. Seeman were with the Division of Geriatrics, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Ana V. Diez Roux was with the Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Sandi Shrager was with the Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle.
authors: Sharon Stein
authors: SS
authors: Merkin
authors: Arun
authors: A
authors: Karlamangla
authors: Ana V Diez
authors: AV
authors: Roux
authors: Sandi
authors: S
authors: Shrager
authors: Teresa E
authors: TE
authors: Seeman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D052636:Allostasis; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology