RESEARCH ARTICLE

Chronic Stress: The Master Hallmark of Aging

Stephen Sideroff 

Departments of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences & Rheumatology

Corresponding Author: Stephen Sideroff. Departments of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences & Rheumatology University of California, Los Angeles, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Received: June 04, 2025                                     Published: June 15, 2025

Citation: Stephen Sideroff. Chronic Stress: The Master Hallmark of Aging. Int J Complement Intern Med. 2025;6(3): 384– 393. DOI: 10. 58349/IJCIM. 3. 6. 2025. 00153

Copyright: ©2025 Sideroff S. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.

Abstract 

Chronic stress is a pervasive force in modern life, significantly impacting emotional well-being and physical health. This paper explores the profound effects of chronic stress on aging, positioning it as the master hallmark of aging. Chronic stress affects cognitive functioning and is also linked to various physical illnesses, including heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, autoimmune symptoms, and contributing to accelerated aging markers. This paper discusses the central role of chronic stress in the psychoneurobiology of aging and the imbalance between the sympathetic arousal and parasympathetic recovery branches of the nervous system, leading to autonomic dysregulation. This dysregulation causes all systems in the body to work harder, generating more wear and tear and toxic waste products and leading to a breakdown in adaptation. The paper identifies the "Four Horsemen of Chronic Stress"— evolutionary mismatch, developmental lessons from childhood, the stress-success association, and conditioned stressors—as key structural factors driving chronic stress and autonomic imbalance. It also examines the impact of chronic stress on the 12 hallmarks of aging. While not presenting an exhaustive review of all the relevant evidence, this paper is focused on establishing the fundamental role of chronic stress in modulating the process of aging, along with a comprehensive model of resilience that incorporates all factors important in restoring and maintaining organismic balance and optimal adaptability and function.

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