The study tracked participants from late middle age into older adulthood, examining how lifelong exposure to stress and inflammation intersect with mortality. By the end of the study period, 25.3% of Black participants had died, compared with 11.9% of white participants. The researchers determined that these factors explained 49.3% of the difference in survival time between Black and white participants, even after adjusting for age and sex. Higher stress levels were associated with higher inflammation, which in turn was linked to earlier death. “Cumulative lifespan stress and inflammation accounted for a large portion of the increased mortality risk among Black individuals,” study authors concluded.