Allostatic load in women with and without PTSD symptoms.

Allostatic load (AL) is the cumulative physiological "cost" of prolonged stress. An AL composite measure successfully predicts morbidity and mortality among the elderly but has not been reported in "high stress" samples with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Accordingly, AL was measured in mothers (ages 29-55) of pediatric cancer survivors and control mothers of healthy children. A significant "dose-response" pattern (high to low AL) emerged: cancer mothers meeting all PTSD criteria, cancer mothers with no/low symptoms, and controls, respectively. Results indicate elevated AL can be detected in relatively young women with high stress histories, and particularly those with PTSD.