(except from article)

The common but ignored risk factor

What many don’t realize, and the medical community doesn’t always recognize or address, is that one of the greatest risk factors for heart disease is adversity or trauma in childhood, also known as ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). One of the social determinants of health (SDOH), childhood trauma has a significant impact on a child’s development as well as overall health as an adult.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic early life events that can lead to negative health outcomes in adults: emotional, sexual, or physical child abuse, parental abandonment or neglect, divorce, having a parent with a mental health condition or substance abuse issue, or having a parent incarcerated. The more adverse experiences a child has, the higher their ACEs score. And the higher the ACEs score, the poorer the long-term health outcome.