A recent study found childhood trauma increases risks and incidents of eight chronic conditions.
The study, published in the January 2025 issue of Elsevier, analyzed 2,111 adults who experienced multiple childhood stressors. The group was tested for latent stressor exposure groups and individual stressors related to 25 biomarkers of inflammation, metabolism and stress, and 20 major health conditions.
Researchers found that high-stress classes of men and women had greater inflammation, poorer metabolic health, more cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic, thyroid, arthritis and mental or behavioral health problems.
"Childhood adversity portends worse biological health and elevated risk for many major health problems in a sex- and stressor-specific manner," the study authors wrote.