Adversity in Childhood Can Weaken Immune Response & Longevity
A study found that the pain people suffer in childhood, such as abuse or other adversities, can lead to weakened immune systems much later in life and for some more serious cases, can shorten lifespan by seven to fifteen years.
The research on 132 healthy adults, averaging 70 years of age, looked at childhood adversities such as the loss of a parent, serious marital problems between parents, or mental illness or alcoholism within the family. It also assessed the length of telomeres – shortened telomeres are often seen as an indicator of biological aging – and the level of inflammatory indicators, with higher levels linked to various health problems such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, cancers and Alzheimer’s disease.
Abuse had a greater effect than adversities but generally, those who had suffered significantly during childhood had shorter telomeres and higher inflammatory levels.
Those who experienced several kinds of hardship as kids had the shortest telomeres, suggesting a shortened life expectancy.
The study was presented Saturday evening, August 14, 2010, at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Diego. It has not yet been published and is not available online.
Second Hand Smoke Increases Risk of Psychological Disorders
A study has found that exposure to second hand smoke causes more than physical health problems. It leads to psychological distress and raises the risk of future mental illness among otherwise healthy adults.
Nonsmokers exposed to second hand smoke showed a 50 percent greater likelihood of reporting psychological distress.
Smokers were also found to be at risk and both smokers and nonsmokers exposed to frequent second hand smoke showed a higher psychiatric hospital admission rate, in addition to greater distress and psychological problems. Animal studies have previously shown that smoke can raise negativity and is a cause of depression, which is in keeping with the conclusions of this study.
The new study was published online on June 7, 2010, ahead of print publication in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The full-text version of this study has been made available by the journal at: http://bit.ly/dt4Eun.