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Impoverished upbringing can lead to cardiovascular risk factors

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Individuals who had an underprivileged upbringing may benefit from cholesterol testing, as new research suggests that this can have a negative long-term impact on an individual's heart health.

The study, which was published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, showed that individuals who experienced adversity in childhood, including the loss of a parent, exposure to violence, poverty, social isolation and low living standards, were much more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol as adults.

The study also revealed that these cardiovascular risk factors did not go away, even when individuals who experienced impoverished childhoods went on to experience more prosperous adult lives. The investigation tracked the health of 822 individuals in Sweden for up to 27 years.

"Our results support the hypothesis that physiological wear and tear visible in mid-adulthood is influenced by the accumulation of unfavorable social exposures over the life course, but also by social adversity measured around the transition into adulthood," the researchers wrote in their report.

The findings suggest that those who grew up in less fortunate circumstances may benefit from taking extra steps to preserve their heart health.