By the Numbers: 19 August 2024
20%
The percentage of "Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan...diagnosed with a gastrointestinal (GI) disease," according to a recent article published in the journal Sage Open Medicine -- The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and gastrointestinal disease in United States Military Veterans.
Additionally, those Veterans with a mental health diagnosis were twice as likely to be diagnosed with a GI disease. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that commonly affects Veterans and can be considered a form of chronic stress, as those with PTSD relive the traumatic experience in the form of nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive memories. Stress has a well-established impact on the GI system and may be a contributor to the development of GI symptoms in Veterans with PTSD.
20%
The percentage of "Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan...diagnosed with a gastrointestinal (GI) disease," according to a recent article published in the journal Sage Open Medicine -- The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and gastrointestinal disease in United States Military Veterans.
Additionally, those Veterans with a mental health diagnosis were twice as likely to be diagnosed with a GI disease. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that commonly affects Veterans and can be considered a form of chronic stress, as those with PTSD relive the traumatic experience in the form of nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive memories. Stress has a well-established impact on the GI system and may be a contributor to the development of GI symptoms in Veterans with PTSD.