How childhood stress and supports affect blood vessel health and inflammation in young adults
Prospective Effects of Early Life Stress and Protective Factors on Vascular Function and Inflammation in Young Adulthood
This project looks at whether stressful experiences in childhood and protective factors like diet, exercise, and supportive parenting relate to blood vessel health and inflammation in people followed from adolescence into adulthood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11262270 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a group of about 1,000 people from Birmingham who have been followed since age 11 and are now in their late 20s. Researchers will use your past reports of childhood adversity and current lifestyle information, collect blood and stool samples, and measure blood pressure and vascular function. They will test immune cell gene activity, inflammatory markers, and the gut microbiome to see if patterns seen in animal studies (for example changes in HDAC9, NOX2, cytokines, and short-chain fatty acids) are present in people. The team will also examine whether healthier diet, physical activity, or supportive parenting during development relate to better vascular outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults in their late 20s or early 30s who experienced early life stress, were tracked during adolescence or can provide detailed childhood history, and can give blood and stool samples and attend clinic visits in Birmingham, AL.
Not a fit: People with advanced cardiovascular disease seeking immediate clinical treatment or individuals unable to travel to the study site are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biological markers and lifestyle changes that help lower long-term heart disease risk after childhood adversity.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies support the proposed biological pathways, but direct evidence in humans is limited and this work aims to translate those findings to people.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mrug, Sylvie — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Mrug, Sylvie
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.