Social Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease: The Role of Chronic Distress and Trajectories of Risk

Laura Kubzansky - Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Society and Health Labratory at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Social disparities in cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, are well-documented and psychological factors are posited as a key pathway underlying these associations. This session will consider the evidence that stress and psychological distress influence heart health and briefly review biological and behavioral mechanisms underlying this relationship. Building on research pointing to childhood origins of adult disease, we will also discuss how early in the life course effects of social and psychological factors might begin to take hold, and how that might affect our thinking about the timing of preventive/intervention strategies. We will also discuss whether positive experiences early in life could set up more resilient trajectories resulting in better cardiovascular health in adulthood.