Dimensions of early life adversity and cardiometabolic health in adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Early life adversity (ELA) has been associated with increased cardiometabolic disease risk in adulthood. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated whether cardiometabolic health outcomes differ based on adversity type (threat, deprivation, or cumulative exposure) and assessed the moderating role of sex and race. METHOD: A comprehensive search of PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science identified 90 studies (82 independent samples) reporting associations between ELA and cardiometabolic outcomes in adults. Inclusion criteria required peer-reviewed, empirical studies linking ELA to disease biomarkers (e.g., cholesterol, hypertension, and atherosclerosis) and health events (e.g., cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes). Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 4. Publication bias and study heterogeneity were evaluated using Egger's tests and trim-and-fill procedures. RESULTS: = .09). Metaregressions revealed that two categories, total cardiometabolic health problems and health events, were significantly moderated by ELA type, with cumulative adversity emerging as the strongest risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of cumulative ELA as a correlate of adult cardiometabolic health, while also highlighting emerging evidence for differential effects of cumulative adversity compared with threat and deprivation. Results highlight the potential value of comprehensive adversity assessment for identifying at-risk populations and for guiding mechanistic and preventive research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Source: Health Psychology
DOI: 10.1037/hea0001592
Language: English
Topic: Child Abuse and Trauma
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Underlying Stress Vulnerability during Adolescence, G2968620953, G6091702346, Child Trauma and the Development of Neural Systems Underlying Emotion Regulation, Deprivation and Threat: Dimensions of Early Experience and Neural Development, Postdoctoral Research in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, The Impact of Adversity on Neurobiological and Psychosocial Dimensions of the Stress Response System, Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Underlying Stress Vulnerability during Adolescence
OpenAlex ID: W7140822609