According to the Times of India, new studies show a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cardiovascular disease as a result of the neurological and hormonal response to chronic stress. (ANI, 2013) Post traumatic stress disorder is defined as “a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event.
Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.” (Staff, 2011) This actually makes a lot of sense because the body’s response to stress is to increase heart rate, which increases your blood pressure, which can increase blood flow and causing your heart to work much harder than it would in a relaxed state.
PTSD has been associated with coronary heart disease and thromboembolic stroke and people with PTSD are more likely to have hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity and cardiovascular disease. The risks for PTSD patients should be noted because coronary heart diease can develop over time as a result of elevated blood pressure with turbulence and stress within coronary arteries and hyperlipidemia, which are associated with PTSD.
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The Heart and Its Diseases Cardiology has intrigued me since I was a small child. It has been my goal to become a cardiologist ever since the first grade. Cardiology is more than just studying the heart. To define it properly would be to say that cardiology is the study of the heart, its action, and its diseases (Clayman 52). The heart is located in the center of the chest, just behind the ...
Studies show that people with PTSD have increases in basal heart rate and blood pressure. (Coughlin, 2011) PTSD patients also have elevated plasma norepinephrine and 24-hour urine norepinephrine levels which are also associated with stress and anxiety.
Positive links between PTSD and cardiovascular disease have been observed in a growing number of studies, but some have design limitations. PTSD can be a predictor of physician-diagnosed cardiovascular disease and the evidence suggests that PTSD increases your risk of coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. (Coughlin, 2011)
This information makes sense again because an elevated blood pressure and stress in your arteries can cause your heart to work harder and increase stress hormones and your body’s response to these hormones.
A recent study of PTSD and cardiovascular disease measured heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, sublingual temperature and respiration rate of patients awaiting physical examination. The study included 32 veterans with combat related PTSD and 26 veterans with no combat experience.
The results indicated that the veterans with PTSD had significantly higher heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, but sublingual temperature and respiration rate did not show any significant differences between the two groups.
(RJ Gerardi, 1994) The study is interesting because it supports the hypothesis that PTSD can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but it does not take into account the lifestyles of the veterans. There is information missing, such as whether the veterans smoke, are active and exercise regularly or eat a healthy diet. This study also does not account for family history of cardiovascular disease or other contributing factors.
PTSD can be a debilitating disease in many ways, when people think of PTSD or any other psychological disorder they don’t think about the ramifications on the rest of the body. PTSD and stress can release a number of hormones that will affect the other systems in your body.
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These hormones include norepinephrine, which affects the amygdala, where attention and responses are controlled. Norepiniphrine underlies the fight or flight response and increases heart rate. Once your heart rate is increased, glucose is released from energy stores in the body and this increases the blood flow to skeletal muscles and increases the supply of oxygen to the brain.
Norepiniphrine can also increase blood pressure, which puts added stress on your heart and blood vessels. Another hormone affected by stress is cortisol, which is a glucocorticoid, produced by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex.
Cortisol is responsible for increasing blood sugar levels, suppressing the immune system and aiding in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. Increasing blood sugar levels can cause your body to work harder to burn the extra energy released and this puts stress on your body systems as well.
Since the studies I looked at were based on self reported information or current information, I would like to see a study conducted that takes into account the patient’s personal medical history, family history, lifestyle and health habits.
I think that all of these factors can contribute to a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and should be looked into. There are so many things that affect cardiovascular health that I wonder if any study would be able to take them all into account.
Bibliography ANI. (2013, October 3).
Health and Fitness. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from Times of India: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-03/health/42663405_1_heart-disease-risk-ptsd-metabolic-syndrome Coughlin, S. S. (2011, July 11).
Post Traumatic Stress Disorderand Cardiovascular Disease.
Retrieved October 17, 2013, from NCBI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3141329/ RJ Gerardi, T. K. (1994, November).
NCBI. AN in vivo assessment of physiological arousal in posttraumatic stress disorder . Boston, MA. Staff, M. C. (2011, April 8).
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/DS00246