Allostatic load

Allostatic load is the cumulative biological cost of repeated or chronic stress on the body. The concept names the measurable wear-and-tear that happens when the stress response system stays activated for months or years rather than minutes or hours. Indicators include elevated cortisol, blood pressure, inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6), and metabolic dysregulation.

For Black Americans, allostatic load is the proposed biological mechanism connecting chronic exposure to racism, neighborhood deprivation, and economic instability to elevated rates of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and preterm birth. See also weathering, which describes the same phenomenon in lifecourse terms.