Adverse Childhood Experiences Patterns And Biological Aging In A Representative Sample Of Older Americans
It’s widely understood that experiences in childhood can shape our adult lives, but new research sheds light on a deeper, biological connection. A recent study explored how difficult experiences in childhood, such as abuse or neglect, can impact our bodies as we age.
The researchers found that individuals who faced more adversity in their early years tended to show signs of accelerated biological aging. To measure this, they used advanced “epigenetic aging clocks” like GrimAge and DunedinPoAm38. These are essentially molecular tools that look at chemical changes on our DNA to estimate a person’s true biological age, which can differ from their chronological age.
What’s particularly significant is that this accelerated biological aging wasn’t just a separate outcome; it also helped explain why people with challenging childhoods are more prone to developing depressive symptoms later in life. In other words, early adversity appears to speed up the body’s aging process, and this faster aging, in turn, contributes to a higher risk of depression in older adulthood.
These findings underscore the profound and lasting impact of early life experiences on our physical and mental health. They also suggest that interventions focusing on lifestyle factors like weight management and substance use could be important in mitigating these long-term effects.
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