What if the stress experienced during childhood and adolescence could have repercussions on health in adulthood? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Stress is a natural human response that motivates us to meet the challenges and threats we face in our lives.” We can therefore consider that everyone experiences stress to a certain extent. However, how we respond to stress makes a big difference to our overall well-being. Indeed, it can lead to physical and mental health problems.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, scientists have been interested in the impact of childhood stress on cardiometabolic health in adulthood. As a reminder, cardiometabolic risk factors include obesity, type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. They are often associated and constitute an important cause of cardiovascular diseases. According to Dr. Fanggi Guo, lead author of the study, “Understanding the effects of perceived stress from childhood is important for preventing, reducing, or managing higher cardiometabolic risk factors in young adults.”
Does being stressed during childhood increase cardiometabolic risks in adulthood?
To conduct this study, scientists analyzed data from 276 people enrolled in the Southern California Children’s Health Study. Participants were enrolled by their parents between 2003 and 2014 and were on average 6 years old when they had their first health assessment. They then completed follow-up assessments as adolescents and young adults, from 2018 to 2021. Participants were on average 13 years old when they were assessed as adolescents and 24 years old on average when they were assessed as than adults.
During each assessment, study volunteers answered questions from a stress scale. This is a widely used method that asks about feelings and thoughts over the past month. Participants were then categorized into four groups based on their stress levels: persistently high, decreasing, increasing, and persistently low. At the same time, the cardiometabolic health of the participants, which includes both cardiovascular and metabolic health, was studied. The researchers took a series of measurements, including blood pressure and weight. They also looked at different things such as: the thickness of the arteries in the neck, hemoglobin levels, which indicate average blood sugar levels over several months to determine diabetic status and body fat percentage.
Preventing stress from an early age would limit the risks of cardiovascular disease
The study results found that people who reported higher levels of stress from adolescence to adulthood were more likely to have higher blood pressure, greater total body fat, more fat around the belly, poorer vascular health and a higher risk of obesity than those who reported feeling less stressed.
Thus, the study indicates that it is necessary to adopt stress management strategies from an early age in order to reduce the future risks of health problems, particularly heart disease or diabetes. In light of these results, Dr Fanggi Guo encourages healthcare professionals to use the stress scale during their consultations. “In this way, people with high levels of stress can be identified and receive treatment earlier” he declares.
Sources:
- Perceived Stress From Childhood to Adulthood and Cardiometabolic End Points in Young Adulthood: An 18‐Year Prospective Study – Journal of Heart Association – January 17, 2024
- Stress – World Health Organization