Psychophysiological response to social stressors: Relevance of sex and age

Understanding the factors involved in the psychophysiological response of people in acute stressful situations is crucial to the prevention and treatment of stress-related health problems. We aim to integrate the results of studies investigating the role of sex and age in the inter-individual variability in several biomarkers of the stress response. We summarize the main findings of our research group and other laboratories regarding sex and age-related differences in the psychophysiological response to psychosocial stress. Sex-related differences in the stress response are observed in blood pressure and cortisol, but not in heart rate, heart rate variability, or salivary alpha-amylase. Additionally, age may explain differences in cortisol levels and basal sympathetic nervous system activity. The results highlight the importance of taking sex and age into account in order to understand the stress response and its possible negative effects on health.