Stress disorder, heart attack risks linked

BOSTON, -- World War II and Korea veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms have greater heart attack risks as they age, a groundbreaking U.S. study said. The study of 1,946 male veterans is the first to document a PTSD-heart disease link, the Chicago Tribune said Tuesday. In post-traumatic stress disorder, scientists believe the body's normal hormonal response to stress becomes unpredictable. Years after the trauma, people remain fearful, tense and are prone to nightmares and flashbacks. The continuous release of adrenaline prompted by PTSD symptoms may wear down the cardiovascular system, said the study's lead author, Laura Kubzansky of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "It's not enough to simply welcome them home and do some immediate evaluation or help with reintegration," she said. "They need to be tracked and watched carefully." Although the men had different symptom levels, few had enough symptoms for a true PTSD diagnosis, Kubzansky said. The study must be repeated to see whether the findings remain true for PTSD-diagnosed veterans and for women, she said. The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs.