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Children with persistently elevated inflammation are at higher risk of experiencing serious mental illnesses, including psychosis and depression, in early adulthood, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry.
The University of Birmingham-led study also found that people who experienced inflammation early in life were at higher risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases, including insulin resistance, an early stage of diabetes.
The study used data collected by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), also known as “The Kids of the ’90s,” with a total of 6,556 participants, 50.4% of whom were female. Inflammation was identified by elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a common inflammatory marker, recorded at participants’ ages 9, 15, and 17.
The researchers found that of the two groups identified as having persistently elevated inflammation throughout development, the group whose CRP levels peaked early in childhood, around age 9, was most associated with a higher risk of later developing depression and psychosis at age 24.
“There is growing evidence linking inflammation with psychiatric illness, depression and cardiometabolic disorders, but little research has been done to explore different trajectories of inflammation in childhood and their associations with mental and physical health outcomes in early adulthood,” said Edward Palmer, from the University of Birmingham, lead author of the study.
“Longitudinal evidence shows that early life inflammation is a significant risk factor for developing schizophrenia, depression and insulin resistance later in life. Those with inflammation, which peaked around age 9, were four to five times more likely to develop these diseases than those without inflammation.”
The results of this study provide strong evidence needed to stimulate further research into whether inflammation is a cause of these diseases or simply a marker.
Palmer added: “While it will take some time to prove whether increased inflammation is a cause of these diseases, it is clear that inflammation precedes the onset of psychiatric disorders and the metabolic dysfunction that may be associated with them, so the mechanisms that drive inflammation need to be further studied.”
“This could ultimately lead to earlier risk profiling in life, different types of early intervention, and new treatment targets.”
Further information: Trajectories of inflammation in youth and risk of psychiatric and cardiometabolic disease in adulthood, JAMA Psychiatry (2024).
Provided by University of Birmingham
Citation: Childhood inflammation linked to onset of mental health problems in early adulthood (August 21, 2024) Retrieved August 21, 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-inflammation-childhood-linked-onset-mental.html
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