Trauma Exposure and Cardiometabolic Health

Young people who go through potentially traumatic experiences are vulnerable to a range of adverse mental health outcomes. Increasing evidence links trauma exposure and associated mental health problems to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
However, there are important limitations to our knowledge in this area. First, most existing research has taken a disorder specific approach (i.e. studied PTSD, psychosis, and depression separately), whereas available evidence shows that traumatic stress underlies a range of mental health difficulties, suggesting that a transdiagnostic approach is appropriate. Second, many existing studies are limited by sample size and retrospective reporting of the traumatic event. Third, we have limited understanding of the factors mediating associations between trauma related psychopathology and CVD. For example, trauma related symptoms of depression may lead to physical inactivity, which in turn increases CVD risk. In addition, inflammation, autonomic nervous system reactivity, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress are all putative biological mechanisms.