Childhood Stress Strongly Linked to Chronic Disease in Adulthood, Duke Researchers Find
New research from Duke University’s Pontzer Lab provides measurable evidence that higher stress during childhood can lead to poorer health outcomes later in life. The research used data from the Great Smoky Mountains Study of Youth, which followed children in western North Carolina ages 9 to 11 into adulthood, showing that early “wear and tear” on the body--known as allostatic load--correlates with higher blood pressure, inflammation and other markers of poor cardiometabolic health. Led by Ph.D. student Elena Hinz and Professor Herman Pontzer, the research highlights how chronic stress, often tied to economic hardship, can have lasting physiological impacts beyond mental health.
This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health.
