The Collaborative is excited to feature the new article, "Adverse childhood experiences and the onset of chronic disease in young
adulthood," from Preventative Medicine. The piece, co-authored by member Stan Sonu, highlights the link between ACEs and chronic disease in young people.
Sonu, along with co-authors Sharon Post and Joe Feinglass, analyzed the responses of the more than 86,000 respondents to the 2011-2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to observe patterns of association between ACEs and adult health disaggregated by age. The trio found that young-adults (18-34) with a high ACE score were at an increased risk of early-onset diseases, such as cardio-vascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, compared to their peers with no ACEs, as well as those with similar scores in successive age groups (35-54 and 55 and older).
These results are a strong argument for the implementation of trauma-informed support across the lifespan, as well as early intervention for health outcomes associated with ACEs.
Dr. Sonu is formerly of the Preventative Medicine Department at Cook County Health and Hospitals Systems in Chicago, and currently Preventative Medicine Program Director at Emory University School of Medicine. Ms. Post is a writer specializing in health policy and systems. Dr. Feinglass is a Research Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at Northwestern University and a board member at Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, home to the Collaborative.
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