By Brent Sugimoto, American Academy of Family Physicians, January 29, 2020
Quick quiz: Which of the following is not associated with exposure to adverse childhood experiences, also known as ACEs?
[child being threatened]
A) Heart disease
B) Cancer
C) Chronic lung disease
D) Obesity
E) Parkinson's disease
The answer: All of the above conditions have been closely associated with ACEs except Parkinson's disease, but a recent study suggests that even Parkinson's disease(www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) may be mediated by exposure to ACEs.
We know that childhood trauma is a devastating experience that can impact mental health; we are also increasingly learning of its insidious effects on the body. Although it might not be surprising that childhood trauma and lifestyle/behavioral issues may be connected to poor long-term health outcomes, people may not realize that ACEs also have been directly linked to many chronic conditions, including asthma,(err.ersjournals.com) eczema(www.sciencedirect.com) and even Alzheimer's disease.(academic.oup.com)
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