T-cells - a critical component of immunity - mature in a gland called the thymus, which sits just in front of and above the heart. Some sources of stress may be impossible to control, but the researchers say there may be a workaround. The association between stressful life events and fewer ready to respond, or naive, T cells remained strong even after controlling for education, smoking, drinking, BMI and race or ethnicity. They answered a questionnaire designed to assess respondentsвЂ™ experiences with social stress, including stressful life events, chronic stress, everyday discrimination and lifetime discrimination.Д«lood samples from the participants were then analyzed through flow cytometry, a lab technique that counts and classifies blood cells as they pass one-by-one in a narrow stream in front of a laser.ДЄs expected, people with higher stress scores had older-seeming immune profiles, with lower percentages of fresh disease fighters and higher percentages of worn-out white blood cells. To calculate exposure to various formsВ of social stress, the researchers analyzed responses from a national sample of 5,744 adults over the age of 50. They queried and cross-referenced enormous data sets from University of MichiganвЂ™s Health and Retirement Study, a national longitudinal study of the economic, health, marital, family status, and public and private support systems of older Americans. Immune aging is associated not only with cancer, but with cardiovascular disease, increased risk of pneumonia, reduced efficacy of vaccines and organ system aging.Д«ut what accounts for drastic health differences in same-age adults? USC researchers decided to see if they could tease out a connection between lifetime exposure to stress - a known contributor to poor health - and declining vigor in the immune system. With advanced age, a personвЂ™s immune profile weakens, and includes too many worn-out white blood cells circulating and too few fresh, вЂњnaiveвЂќ white blood cells ready to take on new invaders.

вЂњThis study helps clarify mechanisms involved in accelerated immune aging.вЂќДЄs people age, the immune system naturally begins a dramatic downgrade, a condition called immunosenescence.

Age-related changes in the immune system play a critical role in declining health,вЂќ said lead study author Eric Klopack, a postdoctoral scholar in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. вЂњAs the worldвЂ™s population of older adults increases, understanding disparities in age-related health is essential. The research, published June 13В in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), could help explain disparities in age-related health, including the unequal toll of the pandemic, and identify possible points for intervention. Stress - in the form of traumatic events, job strain, everyday stressors and discrimination - accelerates aging of the immune system, potentially increasing a personвЂ™s risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and illness from infections such as COVID-19, according to a new USC study. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.**** EMBARGOED UNTIL 3PM MONDAY, JUNE 13 **** These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. About Student-Teacher Ratio Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch For information about the National School Lunch Program, see the USDA WebsiteДata source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. About Enrollment/Ethnicity For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education StatisticsДata source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S.

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