BMI SEMINAR // Stress exacerbation of cardiometabolic and aging-associated diseases

Chronic Stress and low socioeconomic status in humans confer increased vulnerability to morbidity and mortality. However, this association is not mechanistically understood nor has its causation been explored for the most common cardiovascular and metabolic disease affecting humans. We will discuss separate studies from our laboratory collectively demonstrating: 1) how chronic stress modulates the vulnerability or resilience to obesity via regulating energy intake and energy expenditure and via activation of the brown adipose tissue (BAT); 2) how chronic stress exacerbates cardiovascular diseases, particularly in already vulnerable individuals; and 3) how lifelong chronic stress shortens lifespan and increase the risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders in subordinate mice. Collectively, our data highlight a conserved role for social stress and low social status on shortening lifespan and increasing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in mammals and identify potential mechanistic links for this complex phenomenon.