Life course traumas and cardiovascular disease-The mediating role of accelerated aging

The complex relationship between life course traumas and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the underpinning pathways are poorly understood. We aimed to (1) examine the associations of three separate assessments including childhood, adulthood (after 16 years of age), and lifetime traumas (childhood or adulthood) with CVD; (2) examine the associations between diverse life course traumatic profiles and CVD; and (3) examine the extent to which PhenoAge, a well-developed phenotypic aging measure, mediated these associations. Using data from 104,939 participants from the UK Biobank, we demonstrate that subgroups of childhood, adulthood, and lifetime traumas were associated with CVD. Furthermore, life course traumatic profiles were significantly associated with CVD. For instance, compared with the subgroup experiencing nonsevere traumas across life course, those who experienced nonsevere childhood and severe adulthood traumas, severe childhood and nonsevere adulthood traumas, or severe traumas across life course had significantly higher odds of CVD (odds ratios: 1.07-1.33). Formal mediation analyses suggested that phenotypic aging partially mediated the above associations. These findings suggest a potential pathway from life course traumas to CVD through phenotypic aging, and underscore the importance of policy programs targeting traumas over the life course in ameliorating inequalities in cardiovascular health.

Automated summary

The complex relationship between life course traumas and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the underpinning pathways were explored in this study. Analysis of data from the UK Biobank revealed that childhood, adulthood, and lifetime traumas were associated with CVD. Moreover, different life course traumatic profiles were significantly linked to CVD. The study found that phenotypic aging partially mediated the associations between traumas and CVD. These findings highlight the potential pathway from life course traumas to CVD through phenotypic aging and emphasize the importance of policy programs targeting traumas in reducing cardiovascular health disparities.