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Hypercoagulation in chronic post-traumatic stress disorder

Odile Robicsek1, Badira Makhoul, Ehud Klein

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Rambam Health Care Campus affiliated to Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. odilerobicsek@yahoo.com

The Israel Medical Association Journal : IMAJ
|October 14, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Chronic stress, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), elevates hypercoagulation. Severe PTSD shows increased von Willebrand factor (vWF) and factor VIII, suggesting endothelial activation contributes to thromboembolic risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Hematology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Mechanisms of hypercoagulation in chronic stress, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), remain unclear.
  • Chronic coagulation disturbances are linked to increased morbidity and mortality from thromboembolism and cardiovascular disorders in PTSD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying hypercoagulation in individuals with chronic PTSD.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty chronic PTSD patients and a control group were assessed for coagulation parameters including fibrinogen, D-dimer, prothrombin fragment F 1+2, von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen, and factor VIII activity.
  • Psychiatric severity was evaluated using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS).

Main Results:

  • Patients with chronic PTSD exhibited significantly higher levels of vWF antigen compared to controls.
  • Severe chronic PTSD (CAPS > 80) was associated with elevated vWF antigen and factor VIII activity compared to controls and less severe PTSD cases.
  • No significant differences in other tested coagulation parameters were observed between groups.

Conclusions:

  • Severe chronic PTSD is characterized by increased vWF antigen and factor VIII activity.
  • These findings suggest that endothelial damage or activation may contribute to the heightened risk of arterial and venous thromboembolic events in PTSD patients.
Abstract

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