Reduced left ventricular diastolic function in women with posttraumatic stress disorder

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Women's Health

Background:

• Women have a higher incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after trauma exposure compared to men.
• PTSD is linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life.
• The physiological mechanisms connecting PTSD and CVD risk remain incompletely understood, with potential alterations in cardiac function implicated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether women diagnosed with PTSD exhibit diminished left ventricular (LV) diastolic function.
• To explore potential cardiac mechanisms underlying the increased CVD risk in women with PTSD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized echocardiography Doppler to assess LV diastolic function in 14 women with PTSD and 14 control women.
• Measured key diastolic function parameters: transmitral flow velocities (E and A waves), tissue Doppler velocities (e', a', s'), the E/e' ratio, and velocity of propagation (Vp).
• Ensured comparability between groups by analyzing baseline characteristics such as age, body size, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Main Results:

• Women with PTSD demonstrated significantly higher E/e' ratios (9.1 ± 1.3) compared to controls (7.0 ± 1.3, P = 0.002).
• The velocity of propagation (Vp) was significantly lower in women with PTSD (47.5 ± 6.9 cm/s) than in the control group (63.7 ± 11.3 cm/s, P = 0.003).
• No significant differences were found in baseline demographic and clinical characteristics between the PTSD and control groups.

Conclusions:

• Women with PTSD exhibit impaired left ventricular diastolic function.
• Reduced LV diastolic function in women with PTSD may be a contributing factor to their increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
• These findings highlight the importance of cardiac health assessment in women with PTSD.