Childhood Trauma Increases The Risk Of Heart Disease And Death

Childhood trauma increases the risk of heart disease and death

Children who have traumatic experiences may develop standard risk factors for heart disease. But scientists are finding that these factors cannot fully explain the increased risk of heart disease and the likelihood of dying in middle age.

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People who in childhood faced various factors that traumatize the psyche, have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases throughout their life. This risk is not only related to general health. The research paper that showed this was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Scientists have called verbal, emotional and physical abuse, as well as living with people who abuse alcohol or drugs, traumatic experiences or adverse factors.

People with frequent childhood trauma experiences are 50% more likely to suffer from heart disease than those with little knowledge of the problem. Even those who experienced moderate amounts of this type of violence had a 60% higher risk of dying in middle age.

Scientists point out that children who are affected by these adverse factors develop a complex biological and behavioral response to stress. Previous studies have shown that childhood trauma leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including smoking and poor diet. They can cause the emergence of traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease: hypertension, obesity, diabetes and inflammation.

But new research has shown that these factors cannot fully explain the painful effects of childhood traumatic experiences on heart health and death risk. Scientists have come to the conclusion that there are risk factors for heart disease in people with childhood injuries that scientists and doctors are not yet aware of.

In the study, the authors analyzed data from 3,646 participants. They were included in the study at the age of 18-30, they were followed for at least 30 years. 20% of them reported that they often encountered traumatic factors in childhood.

Scientists emphasize that children who face traumatic factors in childhood require special attention from the health system. At the same time, we need a system for the prevention of such adverse factors, which should include not only medical workers.