CorreInstitute on Aging, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 624 WARF Building, 610 North Walnut Street, Madison, WI 53726, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012 Sep;67(5):535-44. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbr152. Epub 2012 Feb 29.
We take a biopsychosocial perspective on age-related diseases by examining psychological correlates of having multiple chronic conditions and determining whether positive psychological functioning predicts advantageous profiles of biological risk factors.
Respondents to the national survey of Midlife in the United States who participated in clinical assessments of health and biological processes (n = 998) provided information on chronic medical conditions and multiple domains of psychological functioning. Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined from fasting blood samples.
Life satisfaction declined with increasing comorbidity while negative affect increased. In contrast, positive affect, purpose in life, and positive relations with others were unrelated to comorbidity status. Significant interactions showed that although IL-6 and CRP increased with increasing number of chronic conditions, respondents with higher levels of purpose in life, positive relations with others, and (in the case of CRP) positive affect had lower levels of inflammation compared with those with lower well-being scores.
The results suggest that many older adults with medical comorbidities maintain high levels of positive psychological functioning that are in turn linked to better profiles of biological disease risk.
通过研究患有多种慢性疾病的心理相关因素，并确定积极的心理功能是否预示着有利的生物学风险因素的特征，我们从生物心理社会的角度来看待与年龄相关的疾病。
参与美国中年全国调查并接受健康和生物过程临床评估的受访者（n=998）提供了有关慢性疾病和多个心理功能领域的信息。从空腹血液样本中测定白细胞介素-6（IL-6）和 C 反应蛋白（CRP）的血清浓度。
生活满意度随着合并症的增加而下降，而消极情绪则增加。相比之下，积极的情感、生活目标和与他人的积极关系与合并症状况无关。显著的相互作用表明，尽管随着慢性疾病数量的增加，IL-6 和 CRP 会增加，但与生活满意度得分较低的人相比，生活目标、与他人的积极关系以及（在 CRP 的情况下）积极情绪水平较高的人炎症水平较低。
结果表明，许多患有多种医学合并症的老年人保持着高水平的积极心理功能，而这种心理功能又与更好的生物学疾病风险特征有关。
