Vets With PTSD More Prone to Heart Risk Factors

Young Vets With PTSD Are More Prone

to Heart Risk Factors!!!

Researcher suspects mental health issues may lead

to unhealthy habits...By

Kathleen Doheny, Health Day Reporter

TUESDAY, Aug. 4 (Health Day News) -- Veterans

of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts who have

mental health problems such as post-traumatic

stress disorder (PTSD) are also at higher risk for

having cardiovascular disease risk factors, a new

study suggests.

While previous studies have found that those

with PTSD, a common mental health problem

among veterans who have seen combat, are at

increased risk of developing and dying from

cardiovascular disease, risk factors for heart

attack and stroke have not been evaluated in

this group, said Dr. Beth E. Cohen, an assistant

professor of medicine at the University of

California San Francisco and staff physician at

the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

Cohen led the study, published in the Aug. 5 issue

of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Our main finding was that vets with mental health

issues -- both PTSD and others -- had a

significantly increased risk of being diagnosed with

a variety of heart disease risk factors," Cohen said.

Cohen and her colleagues looked at national data

from veterans who sought care at VA facilities,

comparing more than 267,000 male vets with

and without mental health diagnoses and nearly

36,000 female vets with and without mental

health issues.

In PTSD, the sufferer "relives" the trauma

via flashbacks or in other ways, such as

becoming hyper-vigilant to everyday sounds.

Other mental health issues seen among vets

include depression, anxiety disorder,

adjustment disorder and alcohol and

substance abuse.

Cohen's team looked at doctors' codes in the

records for cardiovascular risk factors,

including tobacco use, high blood

pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels,

obesity or diabetes. "Because their average

age is 30, they are typically too young to have

already developed heart disease," Cohen said.

"So, we looked at risk factors."

---------------part 2 coming soon------------------

SOURCES: Beth E. Cohen, M.D., assistant professor,

medicine, University of California, San Francisco,

and staff physician, San Francisco VA Medical Center;

Mark Kaplan, Dr.P.H., professor, community health,

Portland State University, Oregon; Aug. 5, 2009,

Journal of the American Medical Association;

Aug. 7, 2009, presentation, American Psychological

Association annual meeting, in Toronto.
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

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ANOTHER HERO REMEMBERED

Cpl Michael B. Presley U.S. Marine Corps


Cpl Michael B. Presley, 21, of Batesville, Mississippi, died
December 14, 2005 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
in Germany of wounds sustained from a suicide, vehicle-borne
improvised explosive device while conducting combat
operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec 12.

Presley was assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion,
2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N. C.
Brandon joined the Marine Corps in 2003. He graduated from
Parris Island in Dec of 2003 and continued his training in Fort
Leonard Wood, Missouri. Then he served one year with the 1st
Marine Aircraft Wing at Okinawa, Japan.

After Japan, Brandon reported to the 2nd Combat Engineer
Battalion for duty as a Motor Transport Operation in March of
2005 at Camp Lejeune. Cpl Presley deployed to the theater of
operation in Sept of 2005 and supported numerous combat
operations in support of the 2nd Marine Division, 8th Marine
Regiment in Fallujian, Iraq.

On Dec 12th, 2005, while conducting a logistical convoy to
the civil military operations center to deliver ballots and voting
supplies in support of the Iraqi national election, the convoy
that Cpl. Presley was participating in came under attack from
a suicide vehicle borne improvised device (SVBIED).

Cpl. Presley was the vehicle commander for the second
Medium Tactical Replacement in the convoy. As the convoy
passed, a taxi that had pulled off to the right side of route Fran,
the taxi pulled out and into the path of Presley’s vehicle.

When Cpl. Presley observed this, he immediately started to
initiate escalation force procedures. Due to the fact that the
taxi was non-responsive, Cpl Presley drew his M16A4 and
was preparing to engage the lone occupant of the taxi. As he
did this, the SVBIED initiated its device early, before it
had actually impacted the MTVR.

This quick action saved not only his driver, but also the cargo
that they were carrying, the Iraqi ballots. He valiantly put his
fellow marines and mission accomplishment ahead of his own
safety.

Presley was wounded by shrapnel in the blast and
later died of his wounds.

Cpl. Presley will be remembered for his broad smile, love of God
love of life, love of his country and his devotion to duty.

Submitted by Pamela Cousar,
Proud Mother of CPL. Michael B. Presley (Brandon)


Semper Fi, Brother
Doc E. Everett McFall

Vietnam Class of 1966-1967