(Excerpts from CDC): A first-ever CDC analysis provides comprehensive estimates of the potential to improve health by preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

At least five of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with ACEs. Preventing ACEs could potentially reduce chronic diseases, risky health behaviors, and socioeconomic challenges for adults.

ACEs can include experiencing abuse, witnessing violence or substance misuse in the home, and having a parent in jail. Exposure to ACEs can result in extreme or repetitive toxic stress responses that can cause both immediate and long-term physical and emotional harms.

These findings appear in CDC’s latest Vital Signs report, which examines the associations between ACEs and 14 negative outcomes.

Key findings

• Adults reporting the highest level of ACEs exposure had increased odds of having chronic health conditions, depression, current smoking, heavy drinking, and socioeconomic challenges like current unemployment, compared to those reporting no ACEs.
• Women, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, and African Americans/Blacks were more likely to experience four or more ACEs.
• Preventing ACEs could have reduced the number of adults who had heart disease by as much as 13% – up to 1.9 million avoided cases, using 2017 national estimates.
• Preventing ACEs could have reduced the number of adults who were overweight/obese by as much as 2% – up to 2.5 million avoided cases of overweight/obesity, using 2017 national estimates.
• Preventing ACEs could have reduced the number of adults with depression by as much as 44% – up to 21 million avoided cases of depression, using 2017 national estimates.

(Source: CDC)

 Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Past National President IMA