Veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, have a much higher risk of developing heart disease, compared to veterans without this mental disorder.
Veterans, especially those who served in combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan have a higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many studies have linked post-traumatic stress disorder to a higher risk of suicide. New studies however find that there is also a severe risk of strain on a person’s physical health. One study finds that post-traumatic stress disorder increases a person’s risk of suffering from heart failure.
The research was conducted by the Department Of Veterans Affairs and analyzed the health of more than 1,000 veterans. They found that post-traumatic stress disorder was associated with a risk of developing heart failure that was approximately 50% higher than for those persons who did not have a history of PTSD.
The researchers have several theories for why the risk of heart failure is attached to symptoms of PTSD. They believe that at least some of the risk could be attributed to the higher stress a person with PTSD undergoes, and the resulting damage to his heart. Veterans who have combat experience are five times more likely to develop symptoms of heart failure, compared to those veterans who have not experienced combat situations.
If you are a veteran with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, you may qualify for benefits. Discuss filing a claim with a California veterans’ disability benefits lawyer. The Department Of Veterans Affairs has made it easier for people who suffer from symptoms of this mental condition to recover benefits from the condition. You have to establish that you suffer from the condition which was triggered by a stressor during combat, and must be able to prove that the stressor was serious enough to cause symptoms of PTSD.