Do you know your health risks? If you’re not already familiar with it, I want to make you aware of something called ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences.
What are ACEs?
ACEs are certain types of childhood traumatic experiences that research has shown may put you at much higher risk for life threatening health conditions. Conditions like heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disease, being a victim of violence, suicide and many more. The original study on this was published in 1998 with over 17,000 participants. It showed that nearly two thirds of participants had at least one ACE. Those with ACE scores over 6 have a risk of a lifespan decreased by as much as 20 years. There are over 70 additional studies related to and supporting this research. More will be shared about physiological components of how these risks develop in future posts.
It’s important to know that we are talking about risk, not a destiny. The good news is that you can decrease your risk for these negative outcomes with some fairly simple shifts in behavior and lifestyle.
Adverse childhood experiences include things like having a parent who drinks excessively, experiencing sexual, physical abuse or neglect, having a household member who was incarcerated or having a household member with mental illness. You can get your ACE score here as well as access additional information about this topic.
What can you do about it?
Knowing your ACE score is the first step to learning more about how to improve your life expectancy and health outcomes. Learn more about one simple step you can start taking here. Working with a professional to understand more about how your ACE score may affect you, as well as to determine how protective factors in your life my help minimize your risk is a great next step.
Contact Blue Sky Wellness for a free consultation to discuss your health goals and learn more about how to incorporate habits and behaviors to improve your life.
Be well,
Michele
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