“Childhood adverse experience can run the gamut from sexual and physical abuse to witnessing violence or growing up in a family with mental health or substance misuse problems.”

“Adversity in childhood can increase the risk of dying from 5 of the top 10 causes of death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and suicide, Anne Schuchat, MD, the CDC’s principal deputy director, said during a press briefing.”

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“Preventing adverse childhood experiences could potentially reduce the number of US residents with coronary heart disease by 1.9 million, cases of overweight or obesity by 2.5 million, and cases of depression by 21 million, the report noted.”

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“The accumulation of adverse childhood experiences can lead to health and social problems throughout childhood and into adulthood….”

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“Multiple different types of adverse childhood experiences together can produce toxic stress which is a chronic activation of the stress response system that results in negative effects on brain development, behavior, and well-being….”

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“She noted that the CDC has a guide to evidence-based methods to prevent or reduce the impact of adverse childhood experiences.”

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“….women, American Indian/Alaska Native populations, black people, and other racial and ethnic subgroups were more likely to have experienced 4 or more types of adverse childhood experiences than men or white individuals.”

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B.Kuehn

Childhood Hardships Contribute to Poor Adult Health

Journal Of The American Medical Association — Volume 322 #24 — December 24/31, 2019 — 2376