Variation in biological status among Polish males and underlying socio-economic factors

On the doorstep to senility: physical changes, health status and well-being in midlife

The movement of the baby boomers into the middle ages made the 45–65 age cohort the largest and the fastest growing segment of population in the first decade of the 21st century. This demographic expansion will have multiple consequences for ageing society. This paper aimed to provide an overview on biology of midlife transition. Physical characteristics, midlife-specific morbidity and mortality were described with focus to sexual dimorphism in physique and gender gap in mortality and morbidity. These characteristics made midlife a separate and unique stage of life. In-depth knowledge of this life stage may be useful in identifying and solving problems of ageing individuals and population.

ALLOSTATIC LOAD AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN POLISH ADULT MEN

This study considers the relationship between a cumulative index of biological dysregulation (allostatic load) and several dimensions of socioeconomic status (SES) and lifestyle in adult Polish males. The extent to which lifestyle variables can explain SES variation in allostatic load was also evaluated. Participants were 3887 occupationally active men aged 25–60 years living in cities and villages in the Silesia region of Poland. The allostatic load indicator included eleven markers: % fat (adverse nutritional intake), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (cardiovascular activity), FEV1 (lung function), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (inflammatory processes), glucose and total cholesterol (cardiovascular disease risk), total plasma protein (stress-haemoconcentration), bilirubin, creatinine clearance and alkaline phosphatase activity (hepatic and renal functions). A higher level of completed education, being married and residing in an urban area were associated with lower physiological dysregulation. The association between indicators of SES and allostatic load was not eliminated or attenuated when unhealthy lifestyle variables were included in the model. Smoking status and alcohol consumption played minimal roles in explaining the association between SES and allostatic load; physical activity, however, had a generally protective effect on allostatic load.