Trauma exposure and endothelial function among midlife women

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Women's Health

Background:

• Trauma exposure is a significant health determinant.
• Endothelial dysfunction is a key factor in cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathophysiology.
• Limited research explores the link between trauma and endothelial function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between traumatic experiences and endothelial function in midlife women.
• To determine if this relationship persists independently of CVD risk factors, demographics, psychosocial factors, or childhood abuse history.

Main Methods:

• 272 perimenopausal/postmenopausal women (40-60 years) without clinical CVD were assessed.
• Participants completed trauma questionnaires and underwent physical measures, blood draw, and brachial ultrasound for flow-mediated dilation (FMD).
• Linear regression models analyzed trauma-FMD relations, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• Over 60% of women reported at least one traumatic exposure; 18% reported three or more.
• A higher number of traumatic exposures correlated with lower FMD, indicating poorer endothelial function.
• This association was significant even after adjusting for demographics, CVD risk factors, mood/anxiety, and childhood abuse.

Conclusions:

• Greater exposure to trauma is associated with impaired endothelial function.
• The findings were not explained by demographics, CVD risk factors, mood/anxiety, or childhood abuse.
• Women with higher lifetime trauma exposure may face an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease.