Researchers from the University of Siena in Italy surveyed 84 people with an average age of 54 who had been diagnosed with untreated PTSD resulting from either a terrorist attack or other traumatic events, like hunting accidents, car accidents, miscarriages, and the death of loved ones. Anyone who received treatment for PTSD was excluded from the study. Participants were placed into two groups depending on the type of trauma they experienced, and then were interviewed about medical problems that occurred after PTSD set in. Individuals were asked about any heart problems, cancers, infections, parasitic diseases, skin problems, or digestion issues they’d experienced since the traumatic event. On the whole, participants from both PTSD groups saw an increase in health problems. Individuals who suffered through terrorist attacks had higher rates of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, as compared with those who experienced other types of trauma. They were also more likely to develop cancer than individuals with untreated PTSD from a traumatic event other than a terrorist attack. Andrea Pozza, MD, study coauthor and researcher in the department of medical science, surgery, and neurosciences at the Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital in Siena, Italy, suggested victims of terrorist attacks may develop cancer at a higher rate due to a dysfunctional stress response from the shock of intentional harm. “Terrorism was associated with neoplasms [abnormal growth of tissue in a part of the body] suggesting that the event type matters,” Dr. Pozza said in an email. “This was in part in line with our predictions: Recent literature hypothesizes that intentional human-made disasters have more severe psychological consequences than other traumas.” Gender also played a part in ensuing health problems: Males developed circulatory disorders and metabolic syndrome at a higher rate than females, while females were more likely to develop benign or malignant cancer. (Previous research has found that women smoke to cope with trauma, which might be why they have an increased risk of cancer. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to use alcohol to cope, which could be why they saw an increased risk of circulatory and metabolic disorders.) Females were also less likely to develop cardiovascular problems due to PTSD, at least before menopause, likely because estrogen works to protect the heart. The authors of the study noted that more research needs to be done to verify their findings, and highlight the importance of early intervention for PTSD. “Longer untreated PTSD was associated with higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease regardless of the event type,” Pozza said. “This suggests the importance of early intervention for PTSD and also education programs for the general population to make people aware about PTSD early-warning signs and how to recognize them.” This study is the first to look at how untreated post-traumatic stress affects health in the long term based on what caused the PTSD. The research group of the Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital of Siena includes Fabio Ferretti, Andrea Pozza, Anna Coluccia, Letizia Bossini, Laura Del Matto, Serena Desantis, Miriam Olivola, Giacomo Gualtieri, and Andrea Fagiolini.
