Psychological Distress In Childhood May Be Associated With Higher Risk Of Heart Disease, Diabetes Later In Life.

The study authors say stress impacts later metabolic and cardiovascular risk in a number of ways, primarily through behavioral and biological pathways. "For example, distress may motivate harmful behaviors such as cigarette smoking and physical inactivity, or reduce educational and occupational achievement," Winning said. "Given there are sensitive periods for establishing behavior patterns -- for example, smoking is typically initiated in adolescence -- childhood and adolescent distress may be especially influential." Psychological distress, she said, may also have a more direct biological impact on health. "Chronic activation of stress-related biological responses, triggered by repeated or sustained exposure to stressful experiences, can lead to a cascade of deleterious effects on processes related to cardiometabolic health, including for example blood pressure and cholesterol." http://www.cbsnews.com/news/childhood-stress-linked-to-heart-trouble-later-in-life/