CUR - The Council on Undergraduate Research

Veteran PTSD and Cardiovascular Disease--Is there a link?

Lora J Bills, Cheryl Miller, Medical Healthcare Management, Westmoreland County Community College, 145 Pavilion Lane, Youngwood, PA 15697

Is there a link between veteran PTSD and cardiovascular disease (CVD)? My goal was to first learn the answer to that question. Then, if there was evidence to support this linkage, I would like to present the information to the VA in hopes they would take the opportunity to make appropriate actions to reduce, delay or even prevent any or all connections between the disorder and disease. It was crucial to gather factual, historical data from prior years studies (if any) for a base line to compare the current study to. Therefore, I began to extract different data segments from outdated studies and professional opinions previously recorded in medical journals pertaining to this topic. The study for this project was created completely anonymous, vague and untraceable as to capture the essential data while maintaining our veterans' privacy. Through Google Forms, it was possible to post the study online while remaining anonymous and untraceable. Google was also able to have the survey responses automatically filter into a spreadsheet which would later be analyzed. The rate of cardiovascular disease in our veterans has continued to rise at a disturbing rate and the diagnosis of PTSD has more than tripled over the last decade. My hypothesis is this: there is a link between the disease and disorder because human's are connected mind and body (which is activity accepted in the medical community), so it just stands to reason that PTSD and cardiovascular disease would be linked. The study information and its results will be placed on a poster for presentation to show a more direct correlation with hard data.   

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