Adverse Childhood Experiences Are Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Indicators and Telomere Length in Low-Income African-American Adolescents

Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life, and to shortened telomere length in children and adolescents, but few studies have examined associations between ACEs and cardiometabolic risk in adolescence or potential associations between ACEs, cardiometabolic risk indicators, and telomere length in this population. The present study examined competing models of associations between adolescent ACEs (as reported by mothers); cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic indicators of health risk; and leukocyte telomere length in youth. Method Data was collected from 108 low-income African-American adolescents (42.6% male; M-age = 14.27 years, SD = 1.17) living in the southeastern USA. Waist circumference was measured during a home interview, and measures of C-reactive protein, insulin resistance, and leukocyte telomere length were obtained from blood following overnight fasting. Results Path analysis supported a main effects model, whereby ACEs were significantly associated with shortened leukocyte telomere length, higher levels of C-reactive protein, and larger waist circumferences, controlling for maternal education and adolescent sex. Exploratory analyses examining whether cardiometabolic risk mediated associations between ACEs and telomere length, or whether telomere length mediated associations between ACEs and cardiometabolic risk, were not supported. Conclusions ACEs are associated with risk of future cardiometabolic disorders and shortened leukocyte telomere length. Because cytogenetic changes are potentially modifiable, interventions to decrease family ACEs or alter responses to ACEs may lessen chronic disease risk in the African-American population. Targeted interventions to improve health are discussed.