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Traumatic childhood increases lifelong risk for heart disease, early death [thehour.com]

 

From American Heart Association News, April 28, 2020

Exposure to trauma and other adverse experiences during childhood increases lifelong risk for cardiovascular disease and death, regardless of a person's health during young adulthood, new research shows.

The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found children who experienced severe adversity – such as verbal, physical or emotional abuse or living with drug or alcohol abusers – were 50% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease later in life than those with low exposure to childhood trauma. Those with even moderate exposure were 60% more likely to die from any cause by middle adulthood.

This could be, researchers believe, because people who face severe adversity as children undergo a combination of behavioral and biological responses not yet fully understood. Previous research shows part of what happens is people are more likely to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as smoking and poor eating habits, which contribute to traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, inflammation and diabetes.

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