Childhood Adversity Heightens the Impact of Later-Life Caregiving Stress on Telomere Length and Inflammation
- 1 January 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Psychosomatic Medicine
- Vol. 73 (1), 16-22
- https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0b013e31820573b6
Abstract
Objective: To address the question of whether childhood abuse and other adversities have lasting, detectable consequences for inflammation and cell aging late in life, and whether the effects are large enough to be discernible beyond that of a major chronic stressor, dementia family caregiving. Previous research on the physical health consequences of childhood abuse and other adversities has been based on data from young or middle-aged adults. Method: In this community sample of 132 healthy older adults (mean age = 69.70 years; standard deviation = 10.14), including 58 dementia family caregivers and 74 noncaregivers, blood samples were analyzed for interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and telomere length, a measure of cell aging. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results: After controlling for age, caregiving status, gender, body mass index, exercise, and sleep, the presence of multiple childhood adversities was related to both heightened IL-6 (0.37 ± 0.03 log10 pg/mL versus 0.44 ± 0.03 log10 pg/mL) and shorter telomeres (6.51 ± 0.17 Kb versus 5.87 ± 0.20 Kb), compared with the absence of adversity; the telomere difference could translate into a 7- to 15-year difference in life span. Abuse was associated with heightened IL-6 and TNF-α levels; for TNF-α, this relationship was magnified in caregivers compared with controls. Moreover, abuse and caregiving status were associated significantly and independently with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Adverse childhood events are related to continued vulnerability among older adults, enhancing the impact of chronic stressors. Childhood adversities cast a very long shadow. BMI = body mass index; CES-D = Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; CRP = C-reactive protein; IL = interleukin; PBMCs = peripheral blood mononuclear cells; TNF = tumor necrosis factor.Keywords
This publication has 72 references indexed in Scilit:
- Close relationships, inflammation, and healthNeuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2010
- Childhood Maltreatment and Telomere Shortening: Preliminary Support for an Effect of Early Stress on Cellular AgingBiological Psychiatry, 2010
- Childhood Adversities and Adult Psychiatric Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication IIArchives of General Psychiatry, 2010
- Childhood Adversities and Adult Psychiatric Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication IArchives of General Psychiatry, 2010
- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Risk Factors for Age-Related DiseaseArchives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2009
- Childhood psychosocial stressors and adult onset arthritis: Broad spectrum risk factors and allostatic loadPain, 2009
- Inflammation and Its Discontents: The Role of Cytokines in the Pathophysiology of Major DepressionBiological Psychiatry, 2009
- A Functional Genomic Fingerprint of Chronic Stress in Humans: Blunted Glucocorticoid and Increased NF-κB SignalingBiological Psychiatry, 2008
- The impact of cumulative childhood adversity on young adult mental health: Measures, models, and interpretationsSocial Science & Medicine (1982), 2008
- Telomeres shorten during ageing of human fibroblastsNature, 1990