PTSD is associated with not following medical instructions

One more good reason why families need to be included in treatment

PTSD linked to higher post-surgery death rate
Story Highlights
Veterans with PTSD had 25 percent increased mortality one year after surgery
PTSD patients also tended to be about seven years younger on average
The stress of patients may be an underlying reason for results
PTSD is also associated with not following medical instructions



By Elizabeth Landau
CNN

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Post-traumatic stress disorder may be a condition of the mind, but research has implicated it in the ills of the body. Now, a new study suggests it may be associated with death after surgery.


The study shows that veterans with PTSD were more likely to die within a year after surgery than those without the disease, regardless of how many years had passed since their service. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists this week.

This is the first research to examine the mortality of patients with PTSD after surgery, said study author Dr. Marek Brzezinski, anesthesiologist and assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

"If you consider that perhaps more and more patients are coming, and they're going to be with us for years to come, this is obviously a huge field that needs to be addressed," he said.

People develop PTSD, an anxiety disorder, in response to a traumatic event. Symptoms, which include intrusive memories, social withdrawal and increased anxiety or emotional arousal, typically begin within three months of a traumatic event, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/20/ptsd.veterans.mortality/