How outside stress affects body weight and inflammation genes
Assessing the impact of exogenous stressors on obesity and pro-inflammatory gene expression
This project looks at whether stresses from where people live and their relationships are linked to adult body weight and inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11372215 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project analyzes information and biological samples already collected from thousands of adults across the U.S., including where people live, their social relationships, body measurements, and inflammatory markers. The team will link residential- and interpersonal-level stress measures to body mass index and waist size, and then examine related changes in pro-inflammatory gene activity. Researchers combine data from three large cohorts (Add Health, MIDUS, and the Health and Retirement Study) to cover a wide adult age range. The work is observational, meaning it uses existing data and samples rather than testing new treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults of a wide age range, especially those with higher body mass index or who have experienced residential or interpersonal stress, are most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People under age 21 or anyone looking for an immediate treatment will not directly benefit from this observational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to specific stress-related factors to target for preventing or reducing obesity and unhealthy inflammation.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have connected chronic stress with higher body weight and inflammation, but combining large population cohorts with pro-inflammatory gene measures is less common and somewhat novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cuevas, Adolfo — New York University
- Study coordinator: Cuevas, Adolfo
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.