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01-06-2016 | Psychosocial Aspects (S Jaser and KK Hood, Section Editors)

The Link Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Diabetes

Authors: Lindsay Huffhines, Amy Noser, Susana R. Patton

Published in: Current Diabetes Reports | Issue 6/2016

Abstract

Exposure to adversity in childhood (adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]) is linked to a number of chronic diseases in adulthood, yet there is limited research examining the impact of ACEs on diabetes. The current review sought to examine the association between ACEs, other trauma exposure or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, and risk for diabetes. Thirty-eight studies are reviewed. Unlike in other diseases, several studies in diabetes show a threshold-response versus a dose-response relation, while other studies show a relation between greater abuse severity and diabetes risk. There were mixed results for studies examining abuse type and frequency. Chronic or comorbid PTSD was also related to increased diabetes risk among veterans, but in community samples, only trauma exposure predicted diabetes risk. While the research is still limited, diabetes researchers and clinicians should consider screening for ACEs and examine severity and frequency across abuse type as a predictor of both diabetes and poor diabetes outcomes.

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Title: The Link Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Diabetes
Authors: Lindsay Huffhines
Amy Noser
Susana R. Patton
Publication date: 01-06-2016
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Current Diabetes Reports / Issue 6/2016
Print ISSN: 1534-4827
Electronic ISSN: 1539-0829
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-016-0740-8

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