The study, which examined the relationship between childhood exposure to trauma and vascular dysfunction among more than 400 Black adults in Atlanta ages 30 to 70, found that women who experienced childhood trauma had a worse vascular function, a preclinical marker of heart disease, while men had none. In addition, the findings indicated that women may be more vulnerable to a larger cumulative stress burden, eliciting varying physiological stress responses. Childhood trauma in women can cause arterial stiffness, or an impaired artery function of the cardiovascular system, contributing to major cardiac events, such as stroke and heart attack. It also contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, and a malfunctioning small blood vessel system, which could damage tissues in the kidneys or brain.