Adverse childhoods may accelerate aging in adults: McMaster University study

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Published February 3, 2023 at 1:43 pm

Divya Joshi mcmaster universit childhood trauma adult health aging hamilton ontario research study

There is scientific evidence that adverse childhood experiences may accelerate biological aging in older adults.

Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton used data from 1,445 participants between the ages of 45 and 85 from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Participants provided blood samples and completed a self-report questionnaire on adverse childhood experiences, including exposure to physical, emotional or sexual abuse, neglect, parental intimate partner violence, or poor parental mental health.

Divya Joshi was the first author of the study. A research associate in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Joshi told McMaster’s Brighter World publication that there was an association between early childhood adversity and accelerated biological aging.

“Adverse childhood experiences are associated with poor health outcomes in later life,” Joshi said. “But what we don’t know is the underlying mechanism through which early life adversity gets under the skin and gets biologically embedded, leading to poor health outcomes.”

Divya Joshi mcmaster universit childhood trauma adult health aging hamilton ontario research study

Researchers were able to measure discrepancies between the biological and chronological ages of its participants using DNA methylation-based estimators, also known as epigenetic clocks.

“These findings suggest that exposure to (adverse childhood experiences) may induce DNA methylation changes that may be persistent across the life course, especially in the absence of health interventions and behavioural interventions,” Joshi said.

The study suggests that clinicians should consider and implement trauma-informed care to support the health needs of individuals who have experienced adverse childhood experiences to prevent “the cascade of poor health outcomes” later in life. There is also a need to implement strategies that raise awareness and promote healthy childhood development.

The research was published online in Aging Cell.

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