UCLA researchers are working on new ways to treat the physical effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Their recent studies show that helping people with trauma-related mental health issues early on could lower their risk of heart disease later in life.
Dr. Jennifer Sumner, a clinical psychologist at UCLA, says that most people go through at least one traumatic experience during their lives. These events could be anything from car crashes and physical assaults to natural disasters or the sudden death of a loved one.
While many people recover over time, some continue to struggle with symptoms like nightmares, flashbacks, and anxiety. If these problems last more than a month, doctors may diagnose PTSD.
PTSD is known to raise the risk of heart problems. People with PTSD have a 50–60% higher chance of developing coronary heart disease. Dr. Sumner and her team have studied this risk in different groups, including women, who often face unique challenges after trauma but are usually underrepresented in research.
In a major study of over 600,000 women veterans, Dr. Sumner’s team found that taking antidepressants lowered the chances of developing cardiovascular disease.
Women with PTSD, anxiety, or depression who took these medications were much less likely to have heart attacks, strokes, or blocked arteries over the next five years. This research was done in partnership with cardiologist Dr. Ramin Ebrahimi from UCLA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The team’s findings were published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and showed that antidepressants could cut the risk of heart disease in half among these patients. Now, Sumner’s group is studying a much larger group of veterans—about 2 million men and women—to see how different PTSD treatments affect heart health.
They are looking at both antidepressants and top therapy options for PTSD, such as prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy. Thanks to efforts by the VA to offer these treatments to many patients, the researchers have access to a large amount of data to better understand how these therapies may also help prevent heart disease.
Sumner says treating mental health problems from trauma may be an important step in preventing heart problems later on. Since trauma is so common, these findings could help many people across the country.
She also points out that people with PTSD often have unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking, poor diet, and lack of exercise. These behaviors can raise the risk of heart disease. On top of that, people with PTSD tend to have more inflammation in their bodies, which may also lead to heart problems and faster aging.
More studies are needed to understand exactly why trauma raises the risk of heart disease and to find out which treatments work best for different people. But Sumner is hopeful that future research will continue to improve care and help more people live healthier lives.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer, and results showing strawberries could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
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