Amemiya A, Fujiwara T, Shirai K, et al. - Through a cross-sectional comparative study of 13,123 adults from Japan and 10,353 adults from Finland, researchers investigated the correlation between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and diseases in elderly people in Japan and Finland. Of the respondents, 50% and 37% of those in Japan and in Finland reported having experienced at least one of the measured ACEs, respectively. In both countries, the number of ACEs was related to poor self-rated health (SRH), and the point estimates were comparable. The number of ACEs was correlated with the prevalence of cancer, heart disease or stroke, diabetes mellitus, current smoking and an elevation in BMI in both countries. Hence, among older adults in both Japan and Finland, the relationship between ACEs and poor SRH, adult diseases and health behaviors was comparable. This international comparative study suggests that across cultural and social environments, the effect of ACEs on health is noteworthy and consistent.