Study links weak immune systems, PTSD

[unhappycamper]

Study links weak immune systems, PTSD
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 13:54:13 EDT

A study shows that there may be a reason that those with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder deal with more physical health issues as they age: Their immune system has been compromised.

The study is yet more evidence to support the idea that people with PTSD go through chemical changes after a psychological injury.

Lead author Monica Uddin, a researcher with the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and her colleagues began with the theory that the increase in physical health issues — such as heart disease — in those with PTSD may come from immune system problems.

To that end, they used blood samples from 100 people in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study. Of those, 23 had been diagnosed with chronic PTSD while 77 had not, though many had been diagnosed with other mental health issues, such as depression.

By looking at genes in those blood samples, they found that the people with PTSD had three areas where genes had been methylated — turned on, essentially — at higher levels than those without PTSD. One of those areas was hearing.

[aquart]

1. No, really? What a surprise!

Oh, and...DUH!

Yeah, yeah, it's nice to have it official.