ReviewCureus2025
Mechanisms and Clinical Implications of the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-Cardiovascular Disease Link.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Oxidative stress and impaired cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity in young adults with post-traumatic stress disorder.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and cardiometabolic dysfunction: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets.iScience · 2026Review
- Dietary inflammatory potential and physical activity adherence as synergistic predictors of systemic inflammation in post-myocardial infarction patients: a retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this review was to synthesize current evidence on the biological, behavioral, and clinical mechanisms linking PTSD with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to highlight clinical implications for screening, prevention, and management. To achieve this, relevant studies were identified through targeted searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using combinations of terms related to PTSD, CVD, autonomic dysfunction, inflammation, endothelial function, and trauma-informed care. Priority was given to original clinical studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and experimental research published between 1990 and 2025. Findings across large epidemiologic studies show that PTSD is associated with significantly higher rates of hypertension, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular mortality. Veterans represent the most extensively studied group, with multiple cohorts demonstrating a dose-response relationship between PTSD severity and cardiovascular risk. The review identifies several interconnected biological pathways that explain this association, including chronic sympathetic activation, reduced parasympathetic tone, impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation, systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, platelet hyperreactivity, coagulation abnormalities, oxidative stress, and metabolic disturbances. These mechanisms are further amplified by behavioral factors such as elevated smoking rates, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, poor sleep, and reduced adherence to cardioprotective medications. Clinical challenges including healthcare avoidance, mistrust of medical environments, and frequent psychiatric comorbidities contribute to delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes. Intervention studies suggest that treating PTSD through trauma-focused psychotherapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, prazosin for sleep symptoms, and structured exercise may improve physiological parameters relevant to cardiovascular risk. Integrated models of care that combine mental health and cardiovascular services, as well as emerging digital tools such as wearables and telepsychiatry, show promise for enhancing monitoring and preventive care. Overall, current evidence indicates that PTSD is a substantial and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor. Recognition of this relationship supports routine cardiovascular risk assessment in individuals with PTSD and systematic PTSD screening in cardiac care settings. Multidisciplinary, trauma-informed care models may be essential for reducing long-term cardiovascular morbidity in this high-risk population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.