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Risky family climates presage increased cellular aging in young adulthood

Gene H Brody1, Tianyi Yu1, Edith Chen2

  • 1Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, 1095 College Station Road, Athens 30602-4527, GA, USA.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|May 31, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Childhood exposure to risky family environments may accelerate cellular aging. This process, linked to stress hormones, could increase the risk of chronic diseases later in life.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • A growing consensus links adverse childhood family environments to long-term health issues, including chronic diseases and early mortality.
  • Prospective data elucidating the biological mechanisms underlying these associations are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between childhood risky family climates and cellular aging in a Black family cohort.
  • To explore the mediating role of stress hormone levels in this association.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study involving 323 Black families.
  • Measurement of stress hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) at ages 19 and 20.
  • Assessment of cellular aging via epigenetic aging markers from ages 20 to 27.

Main Results:

  • Risky family climates were significantly associated with elevated epinephrine and norepinephrine levels in late adolescence.
  • These elevated stress hormone levels predicted accelerated cellular aging between ages 20 and 27.
  • Findings suggest a potential biological pathway linking early life adversity to later-life disease risk.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood risky family climates are associated with increased stress hormone secretion.
  • This hormonal response may mediate the link between adverse early environments and accelerated epigenetic aging.
  • These findings highlight a potential trajectory toward chronic diseases of aging for individuals exposed to risky family climates.

Keywords:
CatecholamineCellular agingRisky family climateYoung adulthood

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