Childhood socioeconomic status linked to cardiac function later

June 28 (UPI) -- Researchers in Finland found in a recent study that low socioeconomic status in childhood increases risk for cardiac structure and function issues in adulthood.

The study, published June 26 in JAMA Pediatrics, by the Research Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Turku in Finland showed that low socioeconomic status in childhood can affect the function of the heart later in life, leading to an increased risk of getting or dying from cardiovascular diseases.

The study, which is part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, followed 1,872 participants who were ages 3 to 18 at the beginning of the 31-year study. Socioeconomic status in childhood was measured by the parents' income at the start of the study.

The results showed children with lower socioeconomic statuses in childhood had higher left ventricular mass and poorer diastolic function as adults.

"The increased left ventricular mass of the heart and poorer diastolic function increase the risk of contracting or dying of cardiovascular disease," Dr. Tomi Laitinen, a researcher in the Research Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Turku, said in a press release.

Researchers are still unclear as to what causes the correlation between socioeconomic status and heart structure and function.