November 17, 2010 12:47 p.m. EST
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects more than the mind
Disorder may damage blood vessels and increase the risk of dying early
Veterans who had PTSD were 48 percent more likely to die of any cause during the study
(Health.com) -- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects more than the mind. The disorder may damage blood vessels and increase the risk of dying early, according to new research presented today at an annual meeting of the American Heart Association.
The study included about 286,000 mostly male veterans between the ages of 45 and 81 who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and conflicts dating back to the Korean War.
The vets with PTSD -- who accounted for roughly 10 percent of the study participants -- had more than double the risk of dying during the 10-year study compared to their peers who didn't have disorder, the researchers found.
Health.com: Depression, PTSD common among Iraq vets
Twenty-nine percent of the vets with PTSD died during the study, compared to 8 percent of the vets without PTSD. (The overall death rate in the study was 13 percent.)
The increased risk of death associated with PTSD held even after the researchers controlled for factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking.
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PTSD linked to hardened arteries
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