Your allostatic load is the cumulative effect of stress over time; it indexes your changes in various biomarkers of stress (blood sugar, insulin, immune markers, stress markers, etc.) in response to the events of your life. Your allostatic load can be calculated by looking at levels of certain “stress biomarkers,” including C-reactive protein, insulin, blood pressure, and so on. Social support is a strong predictor of allostatic load, with those having less social support showing the highest load.
