The Compounding Risks of Early Life Adversity and Couples' Later Life Conflicts in Biological Aging

Abuse in both childhood and adult romantic relationships is linked to age-related health problems. Positive marital dynamics, however, can buffer stress and protect health, particularly as couples grow older. In this longitudinal study, we applied dyadic and life-course stress theories to examine how couples' destructive, abusive conflicts exacerbate biological aging associated with early life adversity, while constructive conflicts temper adversity's biological aging toll.

Married couples (n=107 couples, 214 individuals, ages 40-87 y) in mixed-sex relationships completed two visits, two years apart. Partners completed the Childhood Adversities scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale short form. Blood-based measurements of biological aging included telomere length, T cell p16INK4a expression, and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA; PhenoAgeEAA, GrimAgeEAA, HannumEAA, Horvath2EAA, DunedinPACE).

Linear mixed models showed those with greater childhood family adversities had shorter telomeres and accelerated epigenetic aging (PhenoAgeEAA, GrimAgeEAA, DunedinPACE). Over two years, childhood family adversities or maltreatment predicted larger rises in p16INK4a and accelerated epigenetic aging (Horvath2EAA, PhenoAgeEAA, DunedinPACE). Couples' destructive conflicts moderated concurrent effects: spouses who experienced adversity or maltreatment in both childhood and the past year of their marriage aged 10 months faster in GrimAgeEAA and DunedinPACE. Constructive conflicts were not related to biological aging nor helped offset adversity's biological aging toll.

Couples' destructive, abusive conflict tactics exacerbate the harmful effects of early life adversity on the rate of biological aging in mid-to-late life. Adverse and abusive relationships in both early and later life show synergistic effects to accelerate biological aging.