Title | Military combat and burden of subclinical atherosclerosis in middle aged men: the ARIC study. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2010 |
Authors | Johnson AM, Rose KM, Elder GH, Chambless LE, Kaufman JS, Heiss G |
Journal | Prev Med |
Volume | 50 |
Issue | 5-6 |
Pagination | 277-81 |
Date Published | 2010 May-Jun |
ISSN | 1096-0260 |
Keywords | African Americans, Age Distribution, Carotid Artery Diseases, Cost of Illness, Fathers, Humans, Least-Squares Analysis, Linear Models, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Tunica Intima, Tunica Media, United States, Veterans, Warfare, Whites |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: Studies of the cardiovascular consequences of combat stress are few and inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: The association between combat exposure and subclinical atherosclerosis at Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study visits 1 (1987-1989) and 2 (1990-1992) was assessed among 5347 men from four U.S. communities. METHODS: Measured an average of 36 years after military entry, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaque among non-combat veterans (n=2127) were compared with non-veterans (n=2042) and veterans reporting combat experience (n=1178). RESULTS: Compared to non-combat veterans, non-veterans (risk difference (RD): 10.61; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81, 20.41) and combat veterans (RD: 12.79; 95% CI: 0.72, 24.86) had higher age-adjusted mean CIMT. Differences remained for combat veterans after adjustment for race, father's education and age at service entry but not years of service and for non-veterans after adjustment for race but not father's education. No differences in carotid plaque were noted. CONCLUSION: Results do not suggest that combat has a long-term detrimental effect on subclinical atherosclerosis among men. |
DOI | 10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.02.009 |
Alternate Journal | Prev Med |
PubMed ID | 20184920 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC2866820 |
Grant List | N01-HC-55016 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01HC55015 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01 HC055019 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01 HC055015 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01 HC055021 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01 HC055020 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States T32 HL007055 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States T32 HL007055-27 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01 HC055016 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01HC55020 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01 HC055022 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R21 HL080422-01A1 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-55022 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R01 HL064142 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R01-HL064142 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01HC55022 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States T32-HL07055-27 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R21 HL080422-02 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-55021 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R01 HL064142-01A1 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-55019 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-55015 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R21 HL080422 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-55020 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01HC55016 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R21-HL080422-01 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01HC55019 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R24 HD050924 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States N01HC55021 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States |