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"Low social status lead to off-kilter immune system"

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/low-social-status-leads-kilter-immune-system?tgt=nr

This article presented a study that investigated the relation between social status and ones nervous system/metabolism.  In this study, monkeys were the subjects.  They were separated in a way that displayed obviously which monkeys were dominant and which were subordinate.  The subordinated or low-ranking monkeys were picked on and had less support from their fellow monkeys.  After observing the monkeys mingle for a long enough time for them to "established pecking orders," the researchers drew blood from each monkey.  The low-ranking monkeys displayed biological aspects of chronic and inflammatory disease, higher stress, and different proportions of immune cells compared to the high-ranking monkeys.  This showed that lower-ranking monkeys were not only physically affected, but biologically.  I found this article to be extremely informative as I have never considered that there would be a correlation between one's social class and one's immune system.  The evidence from this study suggesting that a person may be healthier just from being in a higher social class is fascinating.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 28, 2016 at 9:09 PM

    This is fascinating!! I assume that much of the reason that higher social class correlates with better health is because of the amount of stress a person experiences. As from what we have learned and from what other people have posted on the blog, stress can have a huge impact on a person's physical health as well as mental. I am sure that there are several other factors that must also be taken into consideration, but overall this makes sense. A person who is impoverished is constantly under stress trying to find a place to sleep and food to eat. Whereas, a person of high social status knows that they have all of these things as well as access to the doctor to prevent disease or sickness.

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