Childhood Stress Leads To Adult Ill Health: Study

Adversity and stress early in the life leads to long-term ill health and early death, childhood stress caused by poverty or abuse can lead to heart disease, inflammation, and speed up cell ageing

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Nov, 2017 ) :Adversity and stress early in the life leads to long-term ill health and early death, childhood stress caused by poverty or abuse can lead to heart disease, inflammation, and speed up cell ageing.

A health expert said more and more evidence are suggesting a physical impact of stress in childhood. He said there is a deep relationship between living in poverty and early signs of heart disease in 200 healthy teenagers, BBC health news reported.Those who come of lower and lower middle class families are more prone to higher blood pressure and other heart diseases, he added.

Quoting the results of another study BBC reported that children from poorer homes are more likely to interpret a series of mock social situations as threatening.

They also had higher blood pressure and heart rates and higher hostility and anger scores during three laboratory stress tasks.

It backs other research showing a link between a stressful childhood and future cardiovascular disease, said study leader Professor Karen Matthews. She said unpredictable and stressful environments lead children to be hyper vigilant to perceived threats.

Interactions with others then become a source of stress, which can increase arousal, blood pressure, inflammation levels and deplete the body's reserves. This sets up risk for cardiovascular disease.