Noteboom The Law Firm

Study Ties PTSD to Other Diseases

July 23, 2010 - A recent study of 4,416 veterans over 17 months concluded veterans returning to the U.S. from Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suffer more physical ailments than what is considered normal. The study demonstrated an impressive connection between veterans suffering from PTSD and the following:  

• Circulatory disease;
• Musculoskeletal diseases;
• Digestive diseases;
• Hypertensive conditions; and
• Others.

Researchers found the diseases that usually develop with a person's lifespan, such as circulatory and hypertensive conditions, developed very shortly following the end of the veteran's military career. Most diagnosis came within 7 months after the veterans were first diagnosed with PTSD. Researchers then concluded veterans of wars such as the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan may develop higher:

• Lifespan morbidity;
• Mortality rates; and
• Use of the health care system.

The subjects had all served in danger zones from 11Sep2001 to 31Dec2007 and were on average 29 years old. 85% of participants were white, 53% were active duty, and 47% were National Guard or reservists. Only 6% had been diagnosed with PTSD at the beginning of the study, whereas 24.6% has developed it by the end.

A PTSD diagnosis significantly raised the risk of many diseases even after controlling for factors that can affect physical illness, like depression, stress, and substance-abuse. One question left unanswered by the study was if early treatment of either the PTSD or the diseases would mitigate the potential damage done to the veteran.