Metabolic pathways link childhood adversity to elevated blood pressure in midlife adults.

Childhood adversity is a risk factor for adult health outcomes, including obesity and hypertension. This study examines whether childhood adversity predicted mean arterial pressure through mechanisms of central obesity and leptin, adiponectin, and/or insulin resistance, and including dietary quality. 210 Black/African Americans and White/European Americans, mean age=45.

Attachment and the metabolic syndrome in midlife: the role of interview-based discourse patterns.

Objective: Adult attachment discourse patterns and current family relationship quality were examined as correlates of health behaviors and number of metabolic syndrome (MetS) criteria met, and as mediators of the link between childhood adversity and these health outcomes.

Methods: A sample of 215 white/European American and black/African American adults aged 35 to 55 years were examined using a cross-sectional study design. Discourse was assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview, using coherence (a marker of attachment security), unresolved trauma/loss (a marker of disorganized cognitions related to trauma or loss), and idealization (minimizing stressful experiences and their impact) scores.

The influence of speaker and listener variables on intelligibility of dysarthric speech.

Unlabelled: This study compared changes in speech clarity as a function of speaking context. It is well documented that words produced in sentence contexts yield higher intelligibility than words in isolation for speakers with mild to moderate dysarthria. To tease apart the effect of speaker and listener variables, the current study aimed to quantify differences in word intelligibility by speaking task.

Early life adversity is associated with elevated levels of circulating leptin, irisin, and decreased levels of adiponectin in midlife adults.

Context: Early-life adversity, defined as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect before 18 years of age, is associated with metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in adult life. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood, and whether adipomyokines are associated with early-life adversity independent of other factors such as body mass index, psychosocial risks, and health behaviors is not known.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between early-life adversity and circulating the levels of the adipomyokines such as leptin, adiponectin, and irisin and the inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein (CRP).

Detailed assessments of childhood adversity enhance prediction of central obesity independent of gender, race, adult psychosocial risk and health behaviors.

Objective: This study examined whether a novel indicator of overall childhood adversity, incorporating number of adversities, severity, and chronicity, predicted central obesity beyond contributions of "modifiable" risk factors including psychosocial characteristics and health behaviors in a diverse sample of midlife adults. The study also examined whether the overall adversity score (number of adversities × severity × chronicity) better predicted obesity compared to cumulative adversity (number of adversities), a more traditional assessment of childhood adversity.

Materials/methods: 210 Black/African Americans and White/European Americans, mean age=45.