Findings of the study published in Biology Psychiatry link childhood abuse with rapid shortening in the size of telomeres, the protective caps of the chromosomes that keep a cell’s DNA stable but shorten with age.
Brown University study of 31 adults
To find out a link between childhood stress and ageing, researchers from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S., carried out a study on 31 adults, including 22 women and nine men, aged 18-to-64.
Some of the participants reported happy childhoods while others reported severe psychiatric problems during their childhood such as emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse. All the participants were otherwise healthy.
Factors like smoking, body fat, age related effects, and demographics were not considered for this study.
The team examined the DNA levels extracted from blood samples of all the participants and found rapid shortening of telomeres in those who had suffered severe physical and emotional abuse during childhood.
Lead researcher Dr. Audrey Tyrka said, "Both physical neglect and emotional neglected were significantly linked to telomere length."
"It gives us a hint that early developmental experiences may have profound effects on biology that can influence cellular mechanisms at a very basic level," Tyrka added.
More research needed
Many different adverse environments such as cigarette smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and social class as well as genes
are known to reduce telomeres length.
Therefore, researchers have cautioned that the study needs to be replicated on a much bigger scale to correctly establish the exact link between childhood stress and cellular ageing.
Dr. Tyrka said, "We don't know what the full implications of this are yet. Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse. But the precise role of telomeres in this process remains to be determined."
Past link in the current study
The latest study is an extension of previous studies which suggest that psychological stress and trauma could have a similar effect.
In other studies, it has been found that telomeres tend to shorten faster when exposed to toxins such as radiation and cigarette smoke.
Reduced telomere length has also been associated with age-related health complications like cardiovascular events and cancer.
Telomeres: protective cap of chromosomes
Telomeres and telomerase, the enzyme that control them, are a key ingredient in ageing and longevity.
According to Wikipedia, a telomere is a region of repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from destruction.
Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get worn down. The enzyme's job is to partially rebuild them. Eventually, when the telomeres are worn beyond a certain point, cell death is triggered.
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