Women with trauma or PTSD have a 60% higher risk of stroke or heart attack

If you still don’t believe in the link between mental and physical disease this new study will proof you wrong.

The study was the first study to examine the link between traumatic events and cardiovascular disease such as stroke or heart attack. 50,000 women were included in the study that was published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.

Summary

• Women with severe PTSD had 60% higher rates of cardiovascular disease such as stroke or heart attack

• Women reporting traumatic events had 45% higher rates of cardiovascular disease such as stroke or heart attack

• Researchers highlighted the importance of psychological treatment for PTSD. Moreover patients have to be monitored for cardiovascular diseases.

“PTSD is twice as common in women as in men. Approximately one in 10 women will develop PTSD in their lifetime,” said Jennifer Sumner from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.

She said

“PTSD is not exclusively a mental problem – it’s a potentially deadly problem of the body as well.”

“The medical system needs to stop treating the mind and the body as if they are separate. Patients need access to integrated mental and physical healthcare.” said Karestan C. Koenen, Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

More than half of PTSD Patients don’t get treatment

More information and treatment option for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): HERE

More information and treatment option for Stroke: HERE