Wounded War Veterans At Higher Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

War-time stress may lead to an increased risk death by coronary heart disease in later life. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Health Services Research surveyed a cohort of 55 year old Finnish WW2 veterans in 1980, and then carried out a follow-up study 28 years later.

Dr Seppo Nikkari and his team from the University of Tampere in Finland conducted the study. He said "During the 28 year follow up , out of 412 deaths, 140 were due to coronary heart disease (CHD), making wounded veterans 1.7 times more likely to die from CHD than the comparison group".

Christmas Cheer: Courtesy Lebanon's Disabled War Veterans
Bechara was only 19 when, fighting for one of Lebanon's many militias during the 1975-1990 civil war, he was wounded in battle as a bullet lodged itself in his spine.

The study also found that those who had been wounded in action had a higher BMI, a greater history of self-reported depression and were more likely to be claiming disability pension. This also suggests that as well as increased risk of PTSD, physical trauma in early life may cause longstanding physiological implications.

Dr Nikkari added "our findings support the concept that the effects of traumatic events at early adulthood may have long-term consequences on an individual's health".

Women War Veterans Prone to Mental Health Problems During Pregnancy
Pregnancy among women veterans who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan appears to increase their risk for mental health problems, according to a study published in Journal of Women's Health.

Source-Eurekalert

Severe Muscle Pain Attacks Gulf War Veterans
Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) resembling fibromyalgia has been the common complaint of nearly 100,000 Gulf War veterans.

Multi-Symptom Pain Disorders Observed in War Veterans Returning From the Middle East
These problems are overlapped with evidence of sleep problems, substance abuse and depression, which make it harder to treat.