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Thursday, January 10, 2008 8:21 AM
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Increased risk for hypertension, heart attack, and stroke, years after the events of 9/11

Acute stress caused by the 9/11 attacks increased the risk for hypertension, heart attack, and stroke, for years after the event, according to a recent study conducted by Alison Holma, F.N.P., Ph.D., of the University of California at Irvine. The study followed 2,729 adult participants for three years after the attacks in 2001. Participants that reported extreme stress reactions in the days immediately following the attacks were twice as likely to develop hypertension and three times as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. The odds ratio for those reporting ongoing worry after the attacks was 4.67 compared to those that did not report ongoing worry.

The study has public health implications, specifically with regards to the way that governmental organizations and news agencies communicate risks of terrorist events. According to Dr. Holma, "The message from this research is that we need to be very clear about the way in which we communicate information about terror attacks to the public." The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

The impact of ongoing worry about terror attacks has public health implications "in terms of the way that we communicate risk of events like terror attacks," she said.

Dr. Holman said that in the years since 9/11 there have been a number of times when Homeland Security has raised alert levels, but there has been no research to determine the effect these terror alerts have on the health of the general public. "The message from this research is that we need to be very clear about the way in which we communicate information about terror attacks to the public," she said. Raising the alert level may, she said, have the unwanted side effect of increasing worry and anxiety.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that acute psychological responses to 9/11 predicted increased incidence in reports of physician-diagnosed cardiovascular ailments for three years in adults, most of whom did not have known existing cardiovascular disease," she wrote.

Acute stress response was measured using a modified Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire. Acute stress symptoms, Dr. Holman said, are similar to the symptoms of posttraumatic stress except in the case of acute stress symptoms occurring immediately.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medpage Today

Click here to learn about treatment options for stress related behavioral conditions

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Rolf B. Gainer, Ph.D., Diplomate ABDA, is the Chief Executive Office at Brookhaven Hospital and the Vice President of Rehabilitation Institutes of America. Dr. Gainer has been involved in the design and operation of treatment programs since 1977.

Stephen Harnish, MD is the Medical Director of Brookhaven Hospital. Dr. Harnish is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and is well known in Oklahoma for his informative radio and television appearances.

Aric Thorpe, MHR, is Brookhaven Hospital's Pastoral Liaison Representative. He conducts the quarterly Minister's Lifeline series and provides mental health information to pastors and clergy.

Sarah McGee serves as the Community Education Provider for Brookhaven Hospital. She provides information on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment to healthcare professionals in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

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