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Posttraumatic stress, heart rate variability, and the mediating role of behavioral health risks.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dennis, PA; Watkins, LL; Calhoun, PS; Oddone, A; Sherwood, A; Dennis, MF; Rissling, MB; Beckham, JC
Published in: Psychosom Med
October 2014

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to reduced heart rate variability (HRV), which is in turn a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. Although hyperarousal and anxiety are thought to underlie this association, behavioral health risks, including smoking, alcohol dependence, obesity, and sleep disturbance, represent potential mechanisms linking PTSD and HRV. METHODS: To test this hypothesis, short-term laboratory-based and 24-hour ambulatory measures of HRV were collected from 227 young adults (18-39 years), 107 of whom were diagnosed as having PTSD. Latent variable modeling was used to assess the relationship of PTSD symptoms with HRV along with potential behavioral health mediators. RESULTS: PTSD symptoms were associated with reduced HRV (β = -0.21, p = .002). However, this association was reduced in models that adjusted for cigarette consumption and history of alcohol dependence and was rendered nonsignificant in a model adjusting for sleep disturbance. Independent mediation effects were deemed significant via bootstrapping analysis. Together, the three behavioral health factors (cigarette consumption, history of alcohol dependence, and sleep disturbance) accounted for 94% of the shared variance between PTSD symptoms and HRV. Abdominal obesity was not a significant mediator. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that behavioral factors-specifically smoking, alcohol overuse, and sleep disturbance-mediate the association between PTSD and HRV-based indices of autonomic nervous system dysregulation. Benefits from psychiatric and psychological interventions in PTSD may therefore be enhanced by including modification of health behaviors.

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Published In

Psychosom Med

DOI

EISSN

1534-7796

Publication Date

October 2014

Volume

76

Issue

8

Start / End Page

629 / 637

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Smoking
  • Sleep Wake Disorders
  • Psychiatry
  • Obesity
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Heart Rate
  • Health Behavior
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Dennis, P. A., Watkins, L. L., Calhoun, P. S., Oddone, A., Sherwood, A., Dennis, M. F., … Beckham, J. C. (2014). Posttraumatic stress, heart rate variability, and the mediating role of behavioral health risks. Psychosom Med, 76(8), 629–637. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000110
Dennis, Paul A., Lana L. Watkins, Patrick S. Calhoun, Ania Oddone, Andrew Sherwood, Michelle F. Dennis, Michelle B. Rissling, and Jean C. Beckham. “Posttraumatic stress, heart rate variability, and the mediating role of behavioral health risks.Psychosom Med 76, no. 8 (October 2014): 629–37. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000110.
Dennis PA, Watkins LL, Calhoun PS, Oddone A, Sherwood A, Dennis MF, et al. Posttraumatic stress, heart rate variability, and the mediating role of behavioral health risks. Psychosom Med. 2014 Oct;76(8):629–37.
Dennis, Paul A., et al. “Posttraumatic stress, heart rate variability, and the mediating role of behavioral health risks.Psychosom Med, vol. 76, no. 8, Oct. 2014, pp. 629–37. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000110.
Dennis PA, Watkins LL, Calhoun PS, Oddone A, Sherwood A, Dennis MF, Rissling MB, Beckham JC. Posttraumatic stress, heart rate variability, and the mediating role of behavioral health risks. Psychosom Med. 2014 Oct;76(8):629–637.

Published In

Psychosom Med

DOI

EISSN

1534-7796

Publication Date

October 2014

Volume

76

Issue

8

Start / End Page

629 / 637

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Smoking
  • Sleep Wake Disorders
  • Psychiatry
  • Obesity
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Heart Rate
  • Health Behavior