Key result
Stimulus-response tests using HRV, ACTH, and salivary cortisol jointly assessed adaptation capacity across three major clinical stressors in older adults.
Why the study?
Resilience to stressors promotes positive outcomes in older adults, but establishing proof of principle that physical resilience is rooted in dynamic physiological stress-response capacity was needed.
Observational (n=79)
Multisystem stimulus-response data, including HRV and cortisol measures, can jointly assess physiological adaptation capacity in older adults facing major clinical stressors.
Supports dynamical modeling of stress physiology for resilience research; leaves open clinical translation pending larger trials.
Resilience to stressors has emerged as a major gerontological concept aiming to promote more positive outcomes for older adults. Achieving this aim relies on determining mechanisms underlying the capacity to respond resiliently. This article seeks proof of principle for the hypothesis that physical aspects of said capacity are rooted in the fitness of one's physiology governing stress response, conceptualized as a dynamical system. The Study of Physical Resilience in Aging ("SPRING") leveraged stimulus-response experiments to characterize physiological fitness in older adults scheduled for 1 of 3 major stressors: total knee replacement, incident hemodialysis, or bone marrow transplant in hematological cancer. Here we analyze Holter monitor time series characterizing heart rate variability (HRV), cortisol responses to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation, and repeated diurnal salivary cortisol assessment in the SPRING pilot (n = 79). Principal component analysis was applied anticipating steady-state and "adaptation" mechanisms underlying the repeated physiological measures. Analytic features evidenced these mechanisms, supporting construct validity. Component scores were analyzed by major stressor, hypothesized surrogate physiological measures (physical frailty phenotype, self-report of health), and demographic, health, and behavioral characteristics. Scores differed substantially by stressor type and the surrogate physiological measures, evidencing criterion validity. Our data support that HRV, ACTH, and salivary cortisol stimulus-response data jointly assess adaptation capacity across 3 major stressors. We believe that SPRING is the first study in humans to concurrently query multiple physiological systems using stimulus-response tests. Our findings lay groundwork for future validation with further data and to better forecast resilience of older adults to clinical stressors.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Bandeen‐Roche et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Older adults scheduled for major clinical stressors (n=79). Stimulus-response tests (HRV, ACTH, salivary cortisol) was evaluated on Adaptation capacity and physiological fitness. Stimulus-response tests using HRV, ACTH, and salivary cortisol jointly assessed adaptation capacity across three major clinical stressors in older adults.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: