Primary Submission Category: Biomarkers or biological pathways
Gender differences in the association between advanced immune aging and physical disability
Authors: Grace Noppert Grace Noppert
Presenting Author: Grace Noppert*
Long standing gender inequities in physical disability have been repeatedly observed, however the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we investigated whether a multidimensional assessment of immune aging, defined by 4 measures: (1) immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV), (2) CD8+:CD4+, (3) CD4+ EMRA: Naive, and (4) CD8+ EMRA: Naive, was associated with physical disability. Physical disability was assessed by self-reported difficulty on 6 activities of daily living (1+ vs.0). We employed gender-stratified, Poisson log binomial models to estimate the prevalence of ADL disability associated with a one-standard deviation (SD) increase in each immune measure. In age-adjusted models, a one SD increase in the CD8+:CD4+ ratio was associated with a 24% (PR= 1.24, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.25) greater prevalence of ADL disability among women, but not for men. We also observed statistically significant associations between CMV IgG and physical disability prevalence. One SD increase in CMV IgG was associated with a 7% greater prevalence of ADL disability among women (PR= 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.11). No other significant associations were observed. Results suggest more advanced immune aging may serve as an important mechanism in explaining gender inequities in physical disability.