Recent research shows that high levels of blood cholesterol appear consistently in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. These patients also demonstrate lower levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, the good cholesterol. Elevated cholesterol levels can lead to serious health complications in PTSD patients, including heart disease, heart attack and congestive heart failure. High cholesterol in PTSD patients can also contribute to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors, including obesity and insulin resistance, that have been implicated in diabetes onset.
Elevated Cholesterol Levels
Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder demonstrate higher levels of blood cholesterol, according to a 2004 study published in "Psychiatric Services," the journal of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Daniella David and colleagues at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center studied 93 Miami-based combat veterans: 55 with PTSD, and 38 with alcohol dependence. The patients with PTSD showed considerably higher levels of blood cholesterol compared to the alcohol-dependent group. The mean cholesterol level for the PTSD veterans was 213, compared to 188 for the alcohol-dependent veterans.
HDL Cholesterol
Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder also exhibit lower levels of high- -density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, which helps clean out the arteries. According to a 2010 study conducted by Swiss researchers and published in the "World Journal of Biological Psychiatry," not only did PTSD patients demonstrate lower levels of HDL cholesterol, but the lower the markers of HDL were, the more extreme the symptoms of PTSD became.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Research also suggests that the long-term outcome for PTSD patients is a much higher susceptibility to cardiovascular problems as they age. A 2011 study conducted by German researchers and published in the journal "Psychosomatic Medicine," examined 1,456 PTSD patients aged 60 to 85 and found the incidence of serious medical conditions much higher among them compared to controls. Significant correlations between PTSD and cardiovascular diseases such as angina and congestive heart failure existed. Elevated cholesterol levels were common in the participants and predisposed them to hypertension and peripheral vascular disease.
Metabolic Syndrome
In addition to high cholesterol levels, PTSD patients also tend toward obesity and high levels of fats in their blood, according to Dr. Daniella David and colleagues at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The combination of these conditions makes PTSD patients more prone to metabolic syndrome, a leading risk factor for diabetes. According to a 2009 study conducted by University of California researchers and published in the "Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology," metabolic syndrome manifested in 72 per cent of the PTSD patients involved in the study.
References
- "Psychiatric Services"; Comparison of Comorbid Physical Illnesses Among Veterans With PTSD and Veterans With Alcohol Dependence; Daniella David, M.D., et al.; January 2004
- "World Journal of Biological Psychiatry"; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Dyslipidemia: Previous Research and Novel Findings from Patients with PTSD Caused by Myocardial Infarction; R. Von Känel, et al.; March 2010
- "Psychosomatic Medicine"; The Association of Traumatic Experiences and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Physical Morbidity in Old Age: A German Population-Based Study; H. Glaesmer, et al.; June 2011
- "Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology"; Association of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Increased Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome; H. Jin, et al.; June 2009
