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Vegetated land cover near residence is associated with reduced allostatic load and improved biomarkers of neuroendocrine, metabolic and immune functions #
Citation:
Egorov, A., S. Griffin, R. Converse, J. Styles, E. Sams, A. Wilson, L. Jackson, AND Tim Wade. Vegetated land cover near residence is associated with reduced allostatic load and improved biomarkers of neuroendocrine, metabolic and immune functions #. Society for Epidemiological Research annual meeting, Seattle, WA, June 20 - 23, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
This research project aimed at assessing sub-clinical health benefits of community characteristics using multiple biomarkers of physiological functions. The results demonstrate that trees and other vegetation in close proximity to home are associated with reduced risk of having unhealthy values of multiple biomarkers of immune, neuroendocrine and metabolic functions. These novel results contribute to elucidating potential mechanisms of previously observed health-promoting effects of urban green spaces including prevention of depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death. This study was conducted jointly by NHEERL and NERL researchers. It contributes to the Safe and Sustainable Communities research program.
Description:
Abstract: Greater exposure to urban green spaces has been linked to reduced risks of depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mortality. Relaxation and chronic stress alleviation have been cited as hypothesized pathways to improved health. Previous studies linked chronic stress with biomarker-based measures of physiological dysregulation known as allostatic load. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between vegetated land cover near residences and allostatic load. This cross-sectional population-based study was conducted in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area. It used high-resolution metrics of trees and herbaceous vegetation within 500 m of each residence derived from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s EnviroAtlas land cover dataset. Eighteen serum or salivary biomarkers of immune, neuroendocrine and metabolic functions were measured in 204 adults. Alternative allostatic load measures were estimated using dichotomized biomarkers or distance from the center of a multivariate biomarker distribution (Mahalanobis distance). Regression analysis was conducted using generalized additive models with two-dimensional spline smoothing function of geographic coordinates. Increased proportion of vegetated land cover was associated with significantly reduced allostatic load indices of both types. It was also associated with reduced odds of having potentially unhealthy values of norepinephrine, dopamine, dehydroepiandrosterone, fibrinogen, serum amyloid-A, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, ratio of low density to high density lipoproteins, interleukin-8 and C-reactive protein in serum, and α-amylase in saliva, as well as reduced odds of having previously diagnosed depression. The observed effects of vegetated land cover on allostatic load and individual biomarkers are consistent with chronic stress alleviation, improved mental health, and prevention of chronic diseases and premature mortality. This abstract does not represent EPA policy.