TY - JOUR

T1 - Childhood adversity and cardiovascular disease in early adulthood

T2 - a Danish cohort study

AU - Bengtsson, Jessica

AU - Elsenburg, Leonie K.

AU - Andersen, Gregers Stig

AU - Larsen, Mogens Lytken

AU - Rieckmann, Andreas

AU - Rod, Naja Hulvej

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Aims To examine the effect of childhood adversity on the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) between ages 16 and 38, specifically focusing on ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. Methods and results Register data on all children born in Denmark between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 2001, who were alive and resident in Denmark without a diagnosis of CVD or congenital heart disease until age 16 were used, totalling 1 263 013 individuals. Cox proportional hazards and Aalen additive hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and adjusted hazard differences of CVD from ages 16 to 38 in five trajectory groups of adversity experienced between ages 0 and 15. In total, 4118 individuals developed CVD between their 16th birthday and 31 December 2018. Compared with those who experienced low levels of adversity, those who experienced severe somatic illness and death in the family (men: adjusted HR: 1.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.4-1.8, women: 1.4, 1.2-1.6) and those who experienced very high rates of adversity across childhood and adolescence (men: 1.6, 1.3-2.0, women: 1.6, 1.3-2.0) had a higher risk of developing CVD, corresponding to 10-18 extra cases of CVD per 100 000 person-years in these groups. Conclusions Individuals who have been exposed to childhood adversity are at higher risk of developing CVD in young adulthood compared to individuals with low adversity exposure. These findings suggest that interventions targeting the social origins of adversity and providing support for affected families may have long-term cardio-protective effects.

AB - Aims To examine the effect of childhood adversity on the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) between ages 16 and 38, specifically focusing on ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. Methods and results Register data on all children born in Denmark between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 2001, who were alive and resident in Denmark without a diagnosis of CVD or congenital heart disease until age 16 were used, totalling 1 263 013 individuals. Cox proportional hazards and Aalen additive hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and adjusted hazard differences of CVD from ages 16 to 38 in five trajectory groups of adversity experienced between ages 0 and 15. In total, 4118 individuals developed CVD between their 16th birthday and 31 December 2018. Compared with those who experienced low levels of adversity, those who experienced severe somatic illness and death in the family (men: adjusted HR: 1.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.4-1.8, women: 1.4, 1.2-1.6) and those who experienced very high rates of adversity across childhood and adolescence (men: 1.6, 1.3-2.0, women: 1.6, 1.3-2.0) had a higher risk of developing CVD, corresponding to 10-18 extra cases of CVD per 100 000 person-years in these groups. Conclusions Individuals who have been exposed to childhood adversity are at higher risk of developing CVD in young adulthood compared to individuals with low adversity exposure. These findings suggest that interventions targeting the social origins of adversity and providing support for affected families may have long-term cardio-protective effects.

KW - Cardiovascular disease

KW - Ischaemic heart disease

KW - Cerebrovascular disease

KW - Childhood adversity

KW - Adverse childhood experiences

KW - Young adulthood

KW - HEART-DISEASE

KW - EXPERIENCES

KW - ASSOCIATION

KW - ABUSE

KW - PREDICTORS

KW - ALLOSTASIS

KW - MORTALITY

KW - STRESS

KW - HEALTH

KW - RISK

U2 - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac607

DO - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac607

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36375818

VL - 44

SP - 586

EP - 593

JO - European Heart Journal

JF - European Heart Journal

SN - 0195-668X

IS - 7

ER -