Happy Children Face Less Risk Of Heart Attacks During Adulthood

Children brought up in a happy family environment do not face high risks of heart attacks by the time they become adults, says a Finnish study at the University of Turku.

Examining 311 children for the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, the experts surveyed the psychosocial factors and their links to the calcium deposits in their arteries 28 years later, when they were 40 to 46 years old. Such calcium deposits that were assessed with computed tomography (CT) scans can lead blood vessels to become narrow and clogged, slowly leading to heart attacks.

Looking at psychosocial factors, including social, emotional and financial problems facing the children aged between 12 and 18 years, the experts noted the data that studied the income, education level, physical activity level, employment status and mental health. They also tabulated any hints of aggression or behaviour.

Children with better psychosocial well-being tended to be 15 percent less likely to have clogged arteries as adults, while about 18 percent of them tended to collect some calcification in their vessels.

"This study suggests that childhood psychosocial factors may have long-term consequences on cardiovascular health," said Markus Juonala, the lead author of the study which was published in JAMA Pediatrics,

However, stress can enhance inflammation, so parents should try to reduce stress levels in children, said the experts.

"Our findings underscore the need for increased awareness of promoting positive psychosocial health in childhood," the authors wrote. "Because data on many of the factors used in the summative score could be readily gathered at diverse health service encounters, these data might be used in targeted family interventions for primary prevention, especially in those at greatest risk."