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Chronic Metabolic Stress

Meaning

Chronic metabolic stress is a persistent, low-grade physiological strain resulting from prolonged exposure to suboptimal metabolic conditions, such as sustained hyperglycemia, chronic nutrient deprivation, or an unrelenting inflammatory state. This condition significantly impairs the body’s capacity to maintain allostatic balance, leading to cellular dysfunction, insulin resistance, and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Over time, this constant systemic burden accelerates the aging process and is a key driver in the pathogenesis of numerous endocrine disorders, including type 2 diabetes and functional adrenal fatigue. Clinically, it represents a critical target for lifestyle and pharmacological intervention to restore metabolic equilibrium.