Nearly 8 million U.S. residents have PTSD

More insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome with PTSD
By: SHERRY BOSCHERT
Clinical Psychiatry
News Digital Network

Nearly 8 million U.S. residents have PTSD, which is now recognized to be prevalent not only in veterans but in the broader population.

SAN FRANCISCO – Posttraumatic stress disorder independently increased the risk of insulin resistance by 80% and metabolic syndrome by 40% in a retrospective study of 207,954 veterans.

The incidence of insulin resistance was 14% higher and the incidence of metabolic syndrome was 12% higher in 11,420 veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compared with 196,534 without PTSD, after adjusting for the effects of age, gender, ethnicity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history of premature coronary artery disease, and obesity, study coleader Dr. Ramin Ebrahimi reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.

Insulin resistance is known to increase atherogenesis and atherosclerotic plaque instability, resulting in greater risk for MI. The cluster of conditions known as metabolic syndrome (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and abnormal cholesterol levels) has been associated with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
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