Cardiovascular disease has an annual estimated cost of $363.4 billion in the United States and is the leading cause of death globally (Meinhausen et al., 2022).
Commonly, we associate unhealthy eating habits, such as high sodium or polysaccharide consumption, with cardiovascular dysfunction; however, there is a growing number of studies that are demonstrating a more complex onset and trajectory of cardiovascular disease. Arenson and Cohen (2017) stated that persistent psychological trauma elicits neuronal, hormonal, and immunological responses that damage the body and its cells over time. Furthermore, the adrenergic hormone released during fight-or-flight, cortisol, is a glucocorticoid known to impact every body system by participating in cell metabolism, growth, and death.
Individuals diagnosed with PTSD have a 61% greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease (Meinhausen et al., 2022).
This can be attributed to the impact of catecholamines on the heart. According to Coughlin (2011), increased and persistent sympathetic arousal contributes to the formation of cardiovascular disease by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and blood platelet formation. External factors associated with PTSD are also contributors to cardiovascular disease. Grethe et al. (2023) reported that traumatic stress can impact eating regimens, increase alcohol consumption, and be comorbid with substance abuse.
References
- Arenson, M., & Cohen, B. (2017). Research Quarterly advancing science and promoting understanding of traumatic stress Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Cardiovascular Disease. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/publications/rq_docs/V28N1.pdf
- Coughlin S. S. (2011). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Cardiovascular Disease. The open cardiovascular medicine journal, 5, 164–170. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874192401105010164
- Grethe Emilie Roer, Lien, L., Bolstad, I., Aaseth, J. O., & Dawit Shawel Abebe. (2023). The impact of PTSD on risk of cardiometabolic diseases: a national patient cohort study in Norway. 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04866-x
- Meinhausen, C., Prather, A. A., & Sumner, J. A. (2022). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep, and cardiovascular disease risk: A mechanism-focused narrative review. Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001143
- Virginie Rappeneau, Prasanna Koti, Wilmes, L., Widner-Andrae, R., Busch, K., & Touma, C. (2023). Molecular changes in hippocampal energy metabolism in mice selectively bred for extremes in stress reactivity: Relevance of mitochondrial dysfunction for affective disorders. European Journal of Neuroscience, 58(2), 2579–2602. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.16044