Cardiovascular health of Finnish war evacuees 60 years later.
BACKGROUND
Early life experiences might have long-term effects on health.


OBJECTIVE
To assess prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in later life among individuals exposed to traumatic separation in early childhood due to World War II.


METHODS
Of the participants of the Helsinki Birth Cohort 1934-44 Study (n=2003), 320 had been evacuated abroad to temporary foster care in childhood. The remaining participants served as controls. The mean age at evacuation was 4.8 (SD=2.4) years and the mean duration of the evacuation was 1.7 (SD=1.0) years.


RESULTS
Cardiovascular morbidity was higher among the former war evacuees (14.7% versus 7.9%; odds ratio (OR)=2.0, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.4-2.9; P<0.001). A similar difference in prevalence of type 2 diabetes was observed (19.7% versus 14.8%; OR=1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9, P=0.025). The former war evacuees were also more likely to be hypertensive (P<0.05). The effects on morbidity were not explained by age at testing or socio-economic circumstances in childhood or adulthood.


CONCLUSIONS
Early life traumatic events may extend lifelong effects on health. This study is among the first to show that early life trauma predicts higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in late adulthood, in a longitudinal clinical study setting.
Alastalo
Hanna
H
National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Raikkonen
Katri
K
Pesonen
Anu-Katriina
AK
Osmond
Clive
C
Barker
David J P
DJ
Kajantie
Eero
E
Heinonen
Kati
K
Forsen
Tom J
TJ
Eriksson
Johan G
JG
D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010333:Paternal Deprivation; D015995:Prevalence; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D047789:World War II