Abuse accelerates aging

Metastudie: Maltreated children age faster

04/24/2012

Researchers from Duke University in Durham have found through research that maltreated children, who have often experienced physical violence, are suffering from a faster aging process. As a result of the severe external influences, the telomeres, ie the protective caps of the carriers of the genome, are sustainably damaged. This shortens the protective effect of genetic information.

10 percent of children are exposed to physical abuse
According to the German Child Protection Agency, about 10 percent of children are in Germany „regularly heavy physical beatings“ exposed. This means that around 1.2 million children up to the age of 14 have to live through some serious experiences of violence. In addition to the psychological consequences, which are almost always accompanied by mistreatment, those affected suffer a lifetime of physical consequences. A study of researchers among five to ten-year-old children showed that the use of force provoked shortened telomeres. These are generally considered to be signs of advanced aging of humans. As a result, there is an increased risk of disease and shorter life expectancy.

Protective function of the cells
Human genetic information is essentially anchored in all body cells, the chromosomes. In science, the structural ends are called telomeres. Although these contain no formation instructions for control molecules or proteins, but consist of nucleotides. These contain the same building blocks as the genes themselves. During cell division, the DNA is copied and new DNA strands are formed on the telomeres. There is always a loss of nucleotides. Without this function at the ends, genetic information would be lost with each cell division. This process is responsible for the aging of the cells, according to current research. If the telomeres are used up after a large number of cell divisions, the genetic information is attacked. As a result, harmful cells are formed.

Some scientific work indicates that, for example, smoking, unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption or permanent stress accelerates the described aging process. Other studies have also shown that emotionless treatment or social neglect of the child leads to accelerated aging. These preliminary studies can now be confirmed by the research team headed by Idan Shalev from Duke University in Durham.

Faster aging through neglect and violence
In their meta-analysis, the researchers used the data from a long-term study of the careers of children from the UK. The total of 236 subjects were born during the periods 1994 and 195. In the fifth and tenth year of life samples of the DNA were taken from the children. These were then laboratory-tested and compared. During the study period, parents were questioned about their education and career. It turned out that some children suffered from violence.

The subsequent evaluation showed that around 42 percent of the children were victims of bullying, social neglect, mental and physical abuse or domestic violence. In the case of these same children, in contrast to the other children, there were also major changes in the genetic material. The telomeres had shortened significantly more in the time period of the last five years than in the peers, who had not experienced such negative experiences. In addition, be „to record a depressing dose effect“ The researchers write in the study report. The more violent and progressive the maltreatment was, the more severely the telomeres had shortened. This means that the cells of the children were exposed to a greater aging process.

Probably responsible for overshooting immune reactions
The exact context leading to this effect has not yet been conclusively clarified, as the science team emphasized. However, they suspect that the use of force causes excessive immune responses. This in turn gnaws the structural ends. It is also possible that free radicals are responsible for the reaction. If people are exposed to increased stress, the same processes are set in motion. Other studies have already shown that there is a higher risk of developing traumas. Child maltreatment is also detectable years later with scars in the brain. (Sb)

Also read:
Brain damage from mistreatment in childhood
Child maltreatment leaves scars in the brain
Higher risk of disease due to trauma
Therapy for mentally ill children

Source: Idan Shalev (Duke University in Durham) et al .: Molecular Psychiatry, doi: 10.1038 / mp.2016351a2cc0b08c03: Gerd Altmann