Handle with Caution IMAGE by The Nam
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to an increased risk for ischemic heart disease, new research shows.
A prospective study conducted by investigators at University of California, San Francisco, showed that myocardial ischemia was approximately twice as prevalent in patients with PTSD compared with those without the disorder.
“Posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with ischemic changes on exercise treadmill tests independent of traditional cardiac risk factors, C-reactive protein, and several health behaviors and psychosocial risk factors, suggesting additional mechanisms linking PTSD and ischemia should be explored,” investigators led by Beth E. Cohen, MD, University of San Francisco and Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, write.
