- Troubled childhood linked to heart disease as adult, By Sharon Jayson, August 14, 2010, USA Today: “Troubled childhoods can lead to a host of health problems in adulthood, with heart disease as a prime possibility, suggests new research presented today. ‘Many diseases first diagnosed in mid-life can be traced back to childhood,’ Karen Matthews, a professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, told a session at the American Psychological Association meeting here. Matthews, who directs the university’s Mind-Body Center, has published many studies on stress affecting women and children, environmental influences and risk for cardiovascular disease. She says the evidence shows that heightened reactivity to adverse childhood experiences, such as lower socioeconomic status, isolation and negative events can affect the development of disease…”
- Childhood stress leads to adult ill health, studies say, August 14, 2010, BBC News: “A series of studies suggest that childhood stress caused by poverty or abuse can lead to heart disease, inflammation, and speed up cell ageing. The American Psychological Association meeting heard that early experiences ‘cast a long shadow’ on health. One UK expert said more and more evidence was suggesting a physical impact of stress in childhood. In one study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh looked at the relationship between living in poverty and early signs of heart disease in 200 healthy teenagers…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty