New U. S. Couples Study Tracks Stress Biomarkers and Health Risks

The new U.S. couples study set out to fill a gap in stress research. It aimed to capture biological markers among a wide group of married and partnered adults. The project included both sexual minority and heterosexual participants. Researchers wanted a representative sample that oversampled LGBTQ+ individuals. This approach promised richer data on health risks tied to minority status.

Ethics boards at Ohio State University and Gallup gave the green light. Nine hundred fifty people took part in at‑home blood collection using dried blood spots. After cleaning the data, analysts kept 787 samples for testing. About 44 percent identified as sexual minorities. More than half were assigned female at birth. Slightly over half called themselves women. A quarter reported non‑White racial backgrounds. The average age was around 43 years.

Laboratories measured three key markers: IL‑6, CRP, and EBV antibodies. The final counts were 452 for IL‑6, 663 for CRP, and 647 for EBV, with 84 negative cases. These biological readings will be linked to detailed survey answers, daily time logs, and an experience‑sampling component. All Wave 1 results are now public on ICPSR, and the archive will connect with the related survey data.

Planning is already underway for Wave 3, slated to begin blood draws in 2026. Future assays will add IL‑6, CRP, and epigenetic aging based on DNA methylation. Those new measurements will also be released to the public, expanding the study’s usefulness for future research.