Abstract 14586: Early Life Trauma Exposure and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Black Men and Women

Introduction: Childhood trauma is associated with a greater risk of developing hypertension in adulthood. Black individuals develop hypertension at younger ages, have more aggressive hypertension, and are more likely to experience childhood trauma compared to White individuals. Yet, the impact of childhood trauma on vascular stiffness in Black individuals remains less clarified; thus, we examined the association between childhood trauma and arterial stiffness in Black individuals.

Hypothesis: Childhood trauma exposure will be associated with vascular dysfunction and this association may differ by sex.

Methods: Childhood trauma exposure and vascular function were assessed in a cohort of healthy Black participants without known CVD [n=404] from a large metropolitan city. Childhood trauma was assessed using the Early Trauma Inventory short form [ETISR-SF] consisting of four-physical, sexual, emotional, and general-domains, with higher scores indicative of higher traumatic life events assessed before age 18 years. Outcomes of central augmentation index [CAIx] and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity [CfPWV] were measured as indices of wave reflections and arterial stiffness using applanation tonometry [Sphygmocor Inc.], and central pulse pressure [CPP] was calculated as the difference between the aortic systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Relationships between ETISR-SF and outcomes were assessed using multivariate-adjusted and sex-stratified linear regression models.

Results: Mean age of the cohort was 53(SD=10.3), 61% women. Cumulative childhood trauma was associated with CAIx β =0.33%, 95%CI: 0.04,0.62 and CPP β =0.24mmHg, 95%CI:0.04,0.45, but not CfPWV β =-0.02m/s, 95%CI:-0.07,0.02 after adjusting for demographic, BMI, BP, lipids, glucose, clinical history, health behaviors, and depression. Significant traumaxSex interactions were identified for CAIx P=0.01 and CPP P=0.02 . Among women, childhood trauma was associated with higher CAIx β =0.32%, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.60 and CPP β =0.19 mmHG, 95%CI: -0.02, 0.41, but not in men.

Conclusion: Exposure to childhood trauma is associated with measures of arterial stiffness in Black women, noting the detrimental effects of childhood trauma on future CVD risk in Black women.