Overview

• The Duke-led PNAS study followed 1,420 participants assessed at ages 9, 11 and 13 and re-evaluated their health at 30.
• Higher childhood levels of C‑reactive protein and DHEA, along with early overweight, were associated with elevated blood pressure, BMI and waist‑hip ratio in adulthood.
• The findings operationalize allostatic load in childhood using immunologic, neuroendocrine and metabolic markers to identify later cardiometabolic vulnerability.
• Separate JNeurosci research from the University of Turku showed that viewing first‑person bullying scenes rapidly engaged social‑emotional brain networks and triggered autonomic alarm responses measured by pupil dilation and eye tracking.
• Lauri Nummenmaa noted that a persistent alarm state endangers mental and physical health, underscoring calls to reduce childhood stress and bullying and to study targeted early screening.