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Childhood abuse linked to higher carotid artery intima-media thickness later in life
In a new analysis of the SWAN study, childhood sexual abuse was associated with higher carotid artery intima-media thickness later in life.
Researchers evaluated 1,402 white, black, Hispanic and Chinese women aged 42 to 52 years who had available data on physical and sexual abuse that occurred during childhood and adulthood, blood samples, physical measures and a carotid artery ultrasound. All were participants in the longitudinal cohort SWAN study.
Twenty-six percent of women reported physical or sexual abuse during childhood and 23% reported abuse during adulthood. Black women had the highest prevalence of reported abuse.
The researchers observed a relationship between higher carotid artery intima-media thickness and history of childhood sexual abuse, after controlling for CVD risk factors and other confounders (0.8 mm for adjusted mean childhood sexual abuse, 0.8 mm vs. 0.782 mm for no childhood sexual abuse).
Minimally and/or fully adjusted models revealed no association between physical or sexual abuse in adulthood and higher carotid artery intima-media thickness.
A correlation between sexual abuse in adulthood and increased risk for carotid artery plaque emerged; however, this association was not monotonic and the researchers noted that this finding should be interpreted with caution.
According to the researchers, these findings “add to the growing literature showing the potentially deleterious effect of child abuse, and childhood sexual abuse in particular, to women’s cardiovascular health.”
“Awareness of the long-term mental and physical consequences of sexual abuse in childhood needs to be heightened nationally, particularly among women and health professionals,” Rebecca C. Thurston, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry, psychology, epidemiology and clinical and translational science and director of the Women’s Behavioral and Health Laboratory at University of Pittsburgh, said in a press release.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.