ptsd January 5, 2007 --news From The Ama:ptsd May Increase Heart Disease Risk In Older Men

[carlie]

http://www.healthwatch.yourmd.com/ypol/use...68&content=

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News From the AMA:

PTSD May Increase Heart Disease Risk in Older Men

January 5, 2007 — A higher level of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder may increase the risk of coronary heart disease in older men, according to a report in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a journal of the American Medical Association.

A link between stress and coronary heart disease (CHD) has long been proposed. Numerous studies have found that cardiovascular disease and its risk factors are more common among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to background information in the article. But to the authors' knowledge, no prospective studies to date have examined PTSD in relation to CHD risk.

Laura D. Kubzansky, Ph.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues conducted a prospective study to test the hypothesis that high levels of PTSD symptoms may increase CHD risk, using two different measures of PTSD (the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD and the Keane PTSD scale). The authors analyzed data on 1,946 men enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. All the study subjects were community-dwelling men from the Greater Boston area who served in the military. The authors looked for incident (new cases) of coronary heart disease occurring during follow-up through May 2001.

Using the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, the authors found that for each increase in symptom level, the men had a 26 percent increased risk for non-fatal heart attack and fatal CHD combined. They had a 21 percent increased risk for all CHD outcomes combined (non-fatal heart attack, fatal CHD, and angina). The findings were replicated using the Keane PTSD scale.

"This pattern of effects suggests that individuals with higher levels of PTSD symptoms are not simply prone to reporting higher levels of chest pain or other physical symptoms but may well be at higher risk for developing CHD," the authors write.

"These data suggest that prolonged stress and significant levels of PTSD symptoms may increase the risk for CHD in older male veterans," they conclude. "These results are provocative and suggest that exposure to trauma and prolonged stress not only may increase the risk for serious mental health problems but are also cardiotoxic."

To learn more about PTSD, click here.

[Berta]

Thanks Carlie-

I printed this info out-

It might be very significant if the VA's Motion to Reopen an older claim I had at the BVA ever comes to pass-

I used a book from a VA CHief cardiologist to support that claim-for direct SC death but won the Sec 1151 death in the meantime. And I used the Normative aging studt from Dr, Irikawachi.

There is no doubt in my mind that PTSD causes HBP and cardiovascular problems-and a good IMO can support a claim like that.

I posted one or 2 of these awards from the BVA at hadit in the past-

This is a widow's claim and she was granted DIC:

http://www.va.gov/vetapp03/files/0327895.txt

The widow had submitted a study of the relationship of stress to heart disease as well as an IMO:

"The Board thus concludes that although

favorable to the appellant's position, this study falls short

of providing conclusive evidence of a direct causal

relationship between CHD and PTSD.

The Board relies therefore on the only competent medical

evidence in this case addressing whether the service-

connected PTSD caused or contributed materially or

substantially to cause the veteran's death - an August 2000

medical opinion from a VA physician, Dr. K. The physician

indicated treating the veteran for nearly three years; that

the veteran had coronary artery bypass surgery in 1990; and

that his "coronary heart diseases likely led to ischemic

cardiomyopathy, chronic atrial fibrillation and eventually

class IV congestive heart failure." The physician opined

that the veteran's "hyperirritability and anxiety related to

his severe PTSD and subsequent heightened sympathetic nervous

system just as likely contributed to his heart disease."

"ORDER

Service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is

granted.

Basic eligibility for dependents' educational assistance

under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is established"

[carlie]

Berta,

Did you actually click on my posted URL to see where that info came from ?

ARMY HEALTHWATCH -- that's what I found so great about it.

carlie