ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND ADULT

RISK FACTORS FOR AGE-RELATED DISEASE

Depression, Inflammation, and Clustering of Metabolic Risk Factors

Danese A, Moffitt TE, Harrington H, Milne BJ, Polancyzk G, Pariante

CM, Poulton R, Caspi A., (2009).
By: Karen Kaye

INTRODUCTION
People are living longer, thus age-related diseases are increasing
(Lutz et al., 2008; Murray et al., 1997).

Effective strategies are needed to improve quality of longer lives

from these age-related diseases (Braunwald et al., 1997; Edbrahim et al.,

2006).

Interventions in later adulthood have limited efficacy, so there is

increasing knowledge that many of these diseases can be

triggered by childhood experiences (McGill et al., 2003).
Age-related conditions examined:

Depression
-------

HPA
HPA hyperreactivity
hyperreactivity
CVD
CVD
diabetes
diabetes
dementia
dementia
Vascular
Vascular changes
changes
Hypercoagulability
Hypercoagulability

Inflammation
------

Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Insulin
Insulin resistance
resistance
Neurodegeneration
Neurodegeneration
Diabetes
Diabetes
Dementia
Dementia

Metabolic Risk
Markers
------

CVD
CVD
Diabetes
Diabetes
Dementia
Dementia
Hormonal
Hormonal imbalance
imbalance
Vascular
lesions
Vascular lesions

INTRO CONTINUED
It is important to get a better understanding of the origins of these
diseases through studying adverse childhood experiences:
1. Low SES
2. Maltreatment
3. Social Isolation

Research Questions:
1. Are the effects of different adverse childhood experiences distinct
from each other?
2. Do these experiences have different effects on biological systems?
3. Are childhood experiences independent of other risk factors for
disease?

METHODS
Participant sample:

Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, New Zealand

1037 (52% male) born between 1972-73, full range SES, mostly white

Assessments started at age 3, stopped at age 32 (final N=892)

Timeline:
Maternal
Maternal rejection
rejection
Harsh
discipline
Harsh discipline

200405

1972-73

11

Social
Social Isolation
Isolation
BMI
BMI
Childhood
Childhood SES
SES

13

15

18

Primary
Primary caregiver
caregiver
Physical
Physical abuse
abuse
Sexual
abuse
Sexual abuse

21

26

32
Blood
Blood samples
samples
Depression
Depression
MRM
MRM
Family
Family History
History
Current
Current SES
SES
Health
Health behaviors
behaviors

RESULTS

RESULTS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION
Are the effects of different adverse childhood experiences
distinct from each other?
Each adverse childhood experience independently predicts a greater number of

age-related disease

Do these experiences have different effects on biological systems?

Adverse childhood experiences were found to affect metabolic risk

factors and inflammation

Are childhood experiences independent of other risk factors for

disease?
After accounting for the effects of established developmental and

concurrent risk factors, each childhood experience still predicted a

greater number of age-related-disease risks

DISCUSSION

Do you have questions about the methods?

DISCUSSION

Do you have any critiques?

DISCUSSION

What are the implications?