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Childhood intelligence and midlife inflammatory and hemostatic biomarkers: the National Child Development Study

Catherine M Calvin1, G David Batty, Gordon D O Lowe

  • 1Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scotland.

Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
|May 25, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Higher childhood intelligence is linked to lower levels of inflammation and blood clotting biomarkers in adulthood. These associations may be explained by health behaviors and highlight bidirectional links in cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Biomarkers
  • Cognitive Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood intelligence is a robust predictor of adult health outcomes.
  • Inflammatory and hemostatic biomarkers are implicated in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
  • Lifecourse approaches are crucial for understanding chronic disease development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between childhood intelligence and midlife inflammatory and hemostatic biomarkers.
  • To explore the roles of early life factors, midlife cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and health behaviors in these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 9,377 UK individuals born in March 1958.
  • Analysis of plasma biomarkers (CRP, D-dimer, fibrinogen, t-PA, VWF) at age 45.
  • Linear regression models adjusted for socioeconomic status, CVD risk factors, and childhood intelligence to assess cognition-biomarker associations and reverse causation.

Main Results:

  • Higher childhood intelligence scores were significantly associated with lower levels of all measured inflammatory and hemostatic biomarkers in middle age.
  • Early life factors explained 24%-44% of these associations.
  • Adjustment for adult CVD risk factors largely attenuated the effects (82%-100%), and childhood intelligence accounted for 50%-100% of the inverse association between midlife biomarker levels and cognition.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood intelligence predicts midlife inflammatory and hemostatic biomarker profiles.
  • Health behaviors appear to largely mediate these associations.
  • Bidirectional relationships between cognition, inflammation, and hemostasis are important in lifecourse models of CVD-related health.
Abstract

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