the volunteers who had been exposed to prenatal stress were different in a several ways—even after controlling for factors that might influence their current health. They had more insulin resistance. They were more likely to be overweight or obese. When they underwent a lab-stressor test, they released more cortisol. When their immune cells were stimulated, they responded with higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines.19 Finally, they had shorter telomeres.
