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(Ivanhoe Newswire) Children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults, according to new research.
Researchers from Butler Hospital and Brown University found a direct connection between childhood trauma and accelerated reduction in the size of telomeres, the caps on the end of chromosomes that promote cellular stability. Telomeres typically shorten with age. After measuring DNA extracted from blood samples of 31 adults, researchers found accelerated shortening of telomeres in those who reported suffering abuse as kids, compared to those who did not report abuse.
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"It gives us a hint that early developmental experiences may have profound effects on biology that can influence cellular mechanisms at a very basic level, Dr. Audrey Tyrka, the study's lead author was quoted as saying.
This may be the first attempt to look at telomere length in relation to childhood mistreatment. "We don't know what the full implications of this are yet. Shorter telomere lengths are linking to aging and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse," Dr. Tyrka said. "But the precise role of telomeres in this process remains to be determined."
Shorter telomere lengths have been linked to a variety of aging-related medical conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
SOURCE: Biological Psychiatry, 2009
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