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VA Study Finds Injured Veterans Tend to Have Longer Lives

A recent study looked at the longevity rates of veterans who were injured in combat against those who were not. The study revealed those veterans who were awarded the Purple Heart tended to live longer. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) performed the study but are not suggesting combat injuries extended people's lives.

More than 10,000 veterans' medical records were studied by the VA research team. Every record studied was that of a veteran 65 years or older. Researchers looked specifically at those veterans who were wounded in combat yet never received a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and if those veterans turned out to be less likely to develop illnesses and diseases across their life span.

Researchers revealed those soldiers who received the Purple Heart, despite having a PTSD diagnosis, were still likely to outlive their non-recipient counterparts at a rate of 2 to 1 across a 10-year follow-up schedule. The study was undertaken from 1998 to 2008.

It is hoped the individuals in this study that did demonstrate resilience to illness and disease will give researchers something upon which to build when studying resilience to combat stress. It may be researchers finally have something to point to that makes soldiers "resilient to stress."

Those recipients with PTSD demonstrated a death rate lower than those recipients without PTSD. It is possible, however, those with PTSD were not as likely to live to 65. This is one of the main limitations researchers discovered in the study.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.