A study has found those individuals who are physically or sexually abused as children, age more quickly than their non-abused counterparts.
The research, published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, examined 357 test subjects who had been abused as children. In addition, 200 control subjects with similar childhood economic and demographic characteristics to the test subjects were included in the research.
The test subjects’ biological aging was assessed using blood tests administered by the researchers. The first test identified specific biological markers; for example, a result of 53 for a 49-year-old person indicated accelerated growth — the patient was older than their actual age. According to the study, women age faster than men. The second test determined the risk of death. Participants at high risk of death should have been of higher biological age.
Maltreatment had a slight but noticeable influence on biological aging in midlife. Behavioral and psychological therapies may protect survivors from illness and mortality later in life. “In sum, our results contribute support for the hypothesis that childhood maltreatment disrupts healthy aging processes,” the researchers concluded.
