LATEBREAKER
Aging
Examining the Associations of Social Support and Chronic Stress on ADRD Plasma Biomarkers in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD) Cohort Jillian Lee* Jillian Lee Leigh Johnson Sid E. O’Bryant Michelle M. Mielke
Background: There is limited research examining how modifiable risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) impact plasma biomarker levels. Therefore, in a large diverse cohort, we cross-sectionally examined the association between social support and chronic stress on plasma biomarkers levels and whether gender modified these associations.
Methods: Participants included 2,830 older adults (mean [SD] age, 64.98 [8.5] years; 63% women) enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD). Perceived social support was measured using the Interpersonal Support and Evaluation List. Chronic stress was measured using the Chronic Burden Scale. Plasma ADRD biomarkers were assayed using the Simoa platform. Linear mixed-effect models evaluated the associations between social support and chronic stress on plasma biomarkers, adjusting for age, education, gender, and race/ethnicity.
Results: Higher social support was associated (p<0.05) with lower levels of total tau (b=-0.00931), pTau181 (b=-0.0106), and NfL (b=-0.290). With increasing social support, males had lower levels of IL-6 (b=-0.0395) and NfL (b=-0.341) whereas females had lower levels of total tau (b=-0.00998). Higher chronic stress was associated with higher levels of total tau (b=0.0116), NfL (b=0.156), and lower levels of Aβ42/40 ratio (b=-0.0000888). With increasing chronic stress, males had higher levels of Aβ42/40 ratio (b=-0.000143), total tau (b=0.0122), and pTau181 (b=0.0181), compared to females.
Conclusions: In the cross-sectional study, higher social support was associated with lower levels of plasma biomarkers associated with ADRD pathology and higher chronic stress was associated with higher biomarker levels; results differed by gender. Future research is needed to evaluate the longitudinal associations of social support and chronic stress on changes in plasma biomarker trajectories overtime and to further examine gender differences.