Does PTSD Really Harm Veterans' Hearts?

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 -- By itself, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn't raise the risk of heart disease for U.S. veterans, a new study finds.

"Instead, a combination of physical disorders, psychiatric disorders and smoking -- that are more common in patients with PTSD versus without PTSD -- appear to explain the association between PTSD and developing cardiovascular disease," said study author Jeffrey Scherrer. He's research director in the department of family and community medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri.

AHA News: Many Women Plagued by Anxiety After Stroke

THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Angie Read Doyal was unsure if she'd be the same after her stroke. So, when she felt ready to return to work after only seven weeks of intense physical, speech and occupational therapy, she was confident.

But that self-assurance quickly was undermined by severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

AHA: PTSD Common Among Those Who Suffer Tear in the Aorta's Wall

TUESDAY, Nov. 13, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- The sharp and sudden pain from an aortic dissection, along with the emergency treatment that follows, can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder years later, a new study finds.

An aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition in which a tear in the wall of the aorta -- the major artery carrying blood out of the heart -- allows blood to rush between the wall's layers. Most people who have one say they feel a sudden ripping or stabbing chest pain that sometimes spreads to the back. It is usually treated with surgery and medication.

PTSD Patients Do Best When They Choose Their Treatment

TUESDAY, Nov. 6, 2018 -- When people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) choose their own treatment -- be it medication or counseling -- they respond better, a new study finds.

The study included 200 adult patients, including military veterans and survivors of sexual assault, seen at outpatient clinics in Seattle and Cleveland.

More Evidence That Abuse of Xanax, Valium Is on the Rise

THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- About one in every five people who take Valium, Xanax and other benzodiazepines are misusing the potentially addictive medication, U.S. survey data show.

The statistics also revealed that benzodiazepine use among adults is more than twice as high as previously reported, with nearly 13 percent using the drugs within the past year.