The association between childhood trauma and lipid levels in an adult low-income, minority population

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between childhood trauma and lipid profiles in adults from a highly traumatized population at-risk for cardiovascular disease.

Method: We recruited 452 participants, primarily African-American and of low socioeconomic status, from general medical clinics in a large urban hospital. We performed direct comparisons, univariate analysis of variance and regression analyses together and separated by sex, examining the associations of child abuse, body mass index, lipid lowering drug use, blood pressure, age, and substance use to HDL levels and HDL/LDL ratios.

Results: A history of moderate to severe levels of childhood trauma and abuse was associated with a significant decrease in HDL levels (P ≤ .01) and HDL/LDL ratios (P ≤ .001) relative to males with low levels of abuse. This relationship held when the status of lipid-lowering drugs was considered. When controlling for age, substance abuse, tobacco use, and adult trauma, the effects of childhood trauma remained significant. We found a significant child abuse by sex interaction on HDL/LDL ratios [F(1,369)=13.0, P ≤ .0005] consistent with a differential effect of trauma on dyslipidemia in male but not female subjects.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that childhood trauma exposure, obtained with self-report measures, may contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease by way of stress-mediated alterations of lipid concentration and composition in male, but not female, subjects.

Keywords: African-American; Cardiovascular; Genetic; Lipids; Trauma.

Figure 1. HDL and HDL/LDL ratios are lower in men with a history of child abuse

(A) When looking specifically at circulating HDLs, males with a moderate to severe child abuse history have markedly decreased levels of this protective lipid compared to males with little to no child abuse history. Female HDL lipid levels were not significantly different based on child abuse history. (B) Males with moderate to severe child abuse history have considerably lower HDL/LDL ratios compared to males with little to no child abuse history. Female HDL/LDL lipid levels were not significantly different based on child abuse history. Bar graphs show mean + s.e.m.