Experiencing emotional neglect in childhood escalates risk of having stroke in adulthood, researchers reveal.
The study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology examined the hidden risks, when parents fail to give proper emotional support to their children.
"Studies have shown that children who were neglected emotionally in childhood are at an increased risk of a slew of psychiatric disorders. However, our study is one of few that looked at an association between emotional neglect and stroke," study author Dr. Robert S. Wilson, a neuropsychologist at Rush, said in a news release.
For analyzing the link, researchers from Rush University Medical Center included more than 1,000 adults, aged 55 or older. All the participants, without a history of dementia shared details about their physical and emotional abuse before age 18 with the researchers.
Questions that measured the parent's or caregiver's love for the participants and details about physical punishments were included. Apart from that, other factors like parental divorce and family's financial status were also covered.
Within four years after completing the survey, 257 participants of the study died. Of the total number, 192 underwent brain autopsy. Investigators, based on the medical history found 40 of them having a stroke. The autopsy results showed signs of stroke in 89 people.
Based on the results, the investigators found the stroke risk almost three times higher in people who reported high level of childhood emotional neglect than others.
Findings didn't alter when other risk factors like diabetes, physical activity, smoking, and anxiety and heart problems were taken into consideration.
"Interestingly, the autopsy showed emotional neglect was associated with the presence of cerebral infarctions," said Dr. David A. Bennett, director of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center and co-author of the study.
"The results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that early life factors such as traumatic childhood experiences influence the development of physical illness and common chronic conditions of old age."
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. According to CDC over 800,000 people die in the country, suffering from strokes and cardiovascular diseases.
