New research finds that PTSD does not increase risk of heart disease
March 03, 2019
New research published by American Heart Association has found that post traumatic stress disorder alone does not cause an increase in cardiovascular disease in veterans with the condition. There has long been an association between the two.
Participants in the study were all veterans who received care at VA clinics and were between the ages of 30-70. The group was 87 percent male and 60 percent white. They had had no diagnoses of cardiovascular disease in the twelve months prior to the study, which collected information from their health records for at least three years.
Participants who had been diagnosed with PTSD were 41 percent more likely to also develop cardiovascular disease than those without a PTSD diagnosis. However, the study found that it was not one singular factor that increased heart disease risk, but likely several. Depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol are all risk factors for heart disease and were all more prevalent for the PTSD patient group.
After adjusting for those conditions, and other risky behaviors such as smoking and substance abuse, PTSD was not found to be a risk factor. Subsequently, researchers suggest that focusing on treating and managing those conditions could be an efficient way to reduce the risks associated with cardiovascular disease for veterans.