A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Ideal cardiovascular health in adolescents and young adults is associated with alexithymia over two decades later: Findings from the cardiovascular risk in Young Finns Study




AuthorsKarukivi M, Jula A, Pulkki-Råback L, Hutri-Kähönen N, Laitinen TT, Viikari J, Juonala M, Raitakari O

Publication year2020

JournalPsychiatry Research

Journal name in sourcePsychiatry research

Journal acronymPsychiatry Res

Article number112976

Volume289

Number of pages8

ISSN0165-1781

eISSN1872-7123

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112976(external)

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/47147499(external)


Abstract
We evaluated the association of cardiovascular health in adolescence and young adulthood with alexithymia 25 years later. The study sample (n = 1122) participated in evaluations conducted in 1986 (baseline) and in 2011-2012 (T2). Baseline health factors and behaviors were assessed utilizing seven ideal cardiovascular health metrics (ICH index) including blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, physical activity, body-mass-index, and diet. The stability of the ICH index was evaluated with corresponding assessments in 2007 (T1). At T2, alexithymia was measured with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The main analyses were conducted using ANCOVA and adjusted for depression, age, and present social and lifestyle factors. TAS-20 subscales, Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF), Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF), and Externally Oriented Thinking, were analyzed separately. The ICH index was significantly associated with the TAS-20 total score, as well as both with DIF and DDF. A less ideal cardiovascular health was associated with higher alexithymia scores. However, regarding the separate factors, only the association between non-ideal dietary habits and DIF was significant in the multivariate analyses. The baseline ICH index score was stable from baseline to T1. We conclude that non-ideal cardiovascular lifestyle habits in adolescence and young adulthood are significantly associated with later alexithymia.

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