Diminished vagal activity and blunted diurnal variation of heart rate dynamics in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Affected autonomic heart regulation is implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases and is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, although sympathetic hyperactivation has been repeatedly shown in PTSD, research has neglected parasympathetic function. The objective of this study is the long-term assessment of heart rate (HR) dynamics and its diurnal changes as an index of autonomic imbalance in PTSD.

Metabolic syndrome: relative risk associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and antipsychotic medication use.

Background: In recent years, numerous lines of converging evidence have revealed an association between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and impaired physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Although these findings have been interpreted as indicating a direct association of PTSD with metabolic syndrome and obesity, previous studies have not addressed the important confound of antipsychotic drug usage in this population. Second generation antipsychotic medications themselves are associated with metabolic syndrome and obesity, and it is unclear whether the common utilization of these drugs in PTSD may account for some if not all of the observed metabolic problems.

Female veterans of the OEF/OIF conflict: concordance of PTSD symptoms and substance misuse.

This study examined the post-deployment rates of comorbid PTSD and substance abuse in a cohort of female veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Female OEF/OIF veterans and reservists (N=36) completed a battery of assessments as part of a larger study. Of the 36 participants, 11 (31%) screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 17 (47%) screened positive for high-risk drinking and 2 (6%) screened positive for drug abuse.

PTSD, combat injury, and headache in Veterans Returning from Iraq/Afghanistan.

Objective: To examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, combat injury, and headache in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans at the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

Background: Previous investigations suggest that a relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and primary headache disorders exists and could be complicated by the contribution of physical injury, especially one that results in loss of consciousness. These associations have not been systematically examined in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans.

The association of posttraumatic stress disorder and metabolic syndrome: a study of increased health risk in veterans.

Background: There is accumulating evidence for a link between trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and diminished health status. To assess PTSD-related biological burden, we measured biological factors that comprise metabolic syndrome, an important established predictor of morbidity and mortality, as a correlate of long-term health risk in PTSD.

Methods: We analyzed clinical data from 253 male and female veterans, corresponding to five factors linked to metabolic syndrome (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio and fasting measures of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, serum triglycerides and plasma glucose concentration).

Regular walking and long-term maintenance of outcomes after pulmonary rehabilitation.

Background: Empirical evidence supports the role of exercise as part of pulmonary rehabilitation in improving symptoms of breathlessness (dyspnea), health-related quality of life, and exercise tolerance among patients with chronic lung disease. However, many studies show that these initial benefits tend to diminish 12 to 18 months after rehabilitation. Given the importance of exercise (ie, walking) during rehabilitation, we examined whether patient adherence to regular walking enhanced the long-term maintenance of functional benefits gained from an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program.