Child Abuse may Increase Risk of Diabetes, Obesity: Study

A recent study shows that child abuse may dramatically infect the mental health of a child's future. And besides emotional and behavioral issues, it can also increase the risk of diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders in adulthood.

In fact, the findings suggest that stress experienced during childhood can lead to long-term hormone impairment.

For the study, researchers recorded levels of the weight-regulating hormones leptin, irisin and adiponectin in the blood of adults who suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect during childhood.

As leptin has been linked to body-mass index and fat mass that helps to regulate appetite, adiponection helps to lower bodily inflammation. On the other hand, irisin gives our metabolism more energy.

The latest findings revealed that adults who endured childhood abuse showed dysregulation of these hormones.

"This study helps illuminate why people who have dealt with childhood adversity face a higher risk of developing excess belly fat and related health conditions," said researchers Christos S. Mantzoros, MD, DSc, PhD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the VA Boston Healthcare System, via a press release. "The data suggest that childhood adversity places stress on the endocrine system, leading to impairment of important hormones that can contribute to abdominal obesity well into adulthood."

This study involved 95 adults between the ages of 35 and 65 who were asked to fill out questionnaires and analyze hormone levels found in participants' blood samples.

Findings showed that people who suffered the most abuse tended to have higher levels of the hormones leptin and irisin in their body.

The findings also revealed that people who suffered the most abuse tended to have lower levels of adiponectin, which is another risk factor for obesity. They also discovered that adjusting diet could majorly influence their risk, as well as exercise and demographic.

"What we are seeing is a direct correlation between childhood adversity and hormone impairment, over and above the impact abuse or neglect may have on lifestyle factors such as diet and education," Mantzoros said, via the release. "Understanding these mechanisms could help health care providers develop new and better interventions to address this population's elevated risk of abdominal obesity and cardiometabolic risk later in life."

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More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).