Title | Are Biological Consequences of Childhood Exposures Detectable in Telomere Length Decades Later? |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2021 |
Authors | Kemp, BR, Ferraro, KF |
Journal | The Journals of Gerontology: Series A |
Volume | 76 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | 7-14 |
ISSN Number | 1079-5006 |
Keywords | Adverse Childhood Experiences, Biological age, Telomere length |
Abstract | Negative early-life exposures have been linked to a host of poor adult health outcomes, but are such early exposures associated with cellular senescence decades later? This study uses data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the association between six childhood exposure domains (eg, socioeconomic disadvantage, risky parental behavior) and a biomarker of aging, telomere length, among 4,935 respondents. Telomere length is obtained from DNA of cells found in saliva and is measured as the telomere repeat copy number to single gene copy number ratio (T/S). Men who as children were exposed to risky parental behaviors or who reported risky adolescent behaviors have shorter telomeres (b = −0.03 |
DOI | 10.1093/gerona/glaa019 |
Citation Key | 10.1093/gerona/glaa019 |
PubMed ID | 31956916 |