How childhood trauma and poor sleep affect young adult heart and blood vessel health
Interactions of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Sleep Disruption, and Mechanistic Links to Vascular Dysfunction in Emerging Adults
It looks at whether sleep problems after childhood trauma contribute to early blood-vessel changes in young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11233295 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you've experienced childhood trauma, this research follows young adults to see whether disturbed sleep links to early signs of blood-vessel problems. Participants will report their childhood experiences and complete sleep questionnaires and wearable sleep monitoring. Researchers will perform clinic tests of blood-vessel (endothelial) function and collect blood samples to measure oxidative stress and related biology. The team aims to identify a sleep-related pathway that could be changed to protect heart and vascular health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Young adults (age 21 and up) with a history of adverse childhood experiences who can attend clinic visits and complete sleep monitoring are the best candidates.
Not a fit: People without a history of childhood adversity, those with advanced cardiovascular disease, or those unwilling to undergo sleep or vascular testing may not see direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to sleep-focused approaches that help prevent early blood-vessel damage in people with childhood trauma.
How similar studies have performed: Prior smaller studies have found links between ACEs, poor sleep, and early vascular dysfunction, and this project builds on promising preliminary data to clarify mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
Iowa City, United States
- University of Iowa — Iowa City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jenkins, Nathaniel D.m. — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Jenkins, Nathaniel D.m.
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.