Early life adversity and telomere length: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Genetics
• Public Health

Background:

• Early life adversity (e.g., abuse, neglect, socioeconomic factors) is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes.
• Telomere length serves as a biomarker for cellular aging and has been investigated as a mediator of these associations.
• Previous studies on early adversity and telomere length have yielded inconsistent results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the relationship between early adversity and telomere length using meta-analytic techniques.
• To explore factors that may modify the association between early adversity and telomere length, including type, timing, and study design.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases.
• Forty-one studies (N=30,773) met the inclusion criteria after rigorous review and quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
• Meta-analytic techniques, including subgroup and meta-regression analyses, were employed to examine the data.

Main Results:

• A significant inverse association was found between early adversity and telomere length (Cohen's d = -0.35).
• Adversity type, timing, medication use, medical/psychiatric conditions, study design, age, and smoking status significantly influenced the observed relationship.
• More comprehensive assessments of adversity were associated with greater reductions in telomere length.

Conclusions:

• Early adversity has a significant, lasting impact on telomere length, contributing to biological aging and potentially increasing disease risk.
• The specific characteristics of adversity and various methodological factors modulate the relationship between early life experiences and cellular senescence.
• These findings underscore the physiological consequences of early adversity and highlight potential targets for intervention.