McMaster study finds childhood abuse accelerates aging in adults

Exposure to abuse, neglect and violence in childhood could accelerate biological aging in older adults, a McMaster study has concluded.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor health outcomes in later life," Divya Joshi, first author of the study, said in a post by McMaster. 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."

The research, published online Jan. 17 by the journal Aging Cell, analyzed data from 1,445 adults aged 45 to 85 from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. It was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and a number of provincial governments, including Ontario.

The participants provided blood samples and completed questionnaires on adverse childhood experiences such as neglect and physical, emotional or sexual abuse. They also reported exposure to parental intimate partner violence or mental-health issues.

These findings suggest that exposure to ACEs may induce DNA methylation changes that may be persistent across the life course, especially in the absence of health interventions and behavioural interventions," said Joshi, a research associate in the department of health research methods, evidence and impact. It is important that clinicians consider and implement trauma-informed care to support the health needs of individuals who have experienced adverse childhood experiences so that we can prevent the cascade of poor health outcomes in later life."

Joanna Frketich is a health reporter at The Spectator. jfrketich@thespec.com