Study links childhood exposure to trauma to increased risk of heart disease later in life

Exposure to trauma as a child or teen might make a person more susceptible to heart disease later in life, according to researchers.  In an observational study, experts reviewed published scientific literature and found a strong association between traumatic experiences in childhood or teen years—including abuse, bullying, or being an eyewitness violence—and the chances of developing risk factors for heart disease such as obesity, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes in early adulthood. The study, published in Circulation, was partly funded by NHLBI.