What do you think of when you hear the words “heart disease”? What about “post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)”? Popular culture most often shows us images of men clutching their chests or male soldiers returning home from war.

Our understanding of these diseases tends to center on men, when statistics suggest women are at an even higher risk of being harmed by them.

Why the existing research on heart disease & PTSD is insufficient

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. women. Nearly half (45%) of women in this country will develop it in their lifetime—though less than half of them are aware of its prevalence.

PTSD gained widespread recognition and a spot in the DSM when veterans returned traumatized from the Vietnam War. But today, American women are twice as likely as their male counterparts to suffer from PTSD—a fact experts attribute to a combination of biological sex differences and higher rates of sexual trauma among women. 

Previous research has linked the two conditions, suggesting PTSD heightens one’s risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia (which women experience at nearly twice the rate of men, with rates growing). However, this research was largely conducted on men. Noticing a theme?

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association1 set out to change that, examining the relationship between PTSD, heart disease, and dementia. Importantly, it looked at women in their midlife, around the menopause transition, when women’s risk of heart disease and dementia increases. Here’s what it found.

The link between PTSD, heart disease, and dementia in midlife women

The study included 274 women ages 45 to 67 who underwent blood tests, brain imaging, genetic testing, evaluations for PTSD and cognitive function, and more.

Researchers found that women with greater PTSD symptoms had higher carotid IMT, a metric for describing how thick certain layers of the carotid arteries are. The finding is significant because carotid IMT is associated with heart disease and can be used to assess heart health more broadly.

For women who are carriers of APOEε4, a genotype associated with dementia2 , having more PTSD symptoms was linked to greater brain white matter volume (WMHV) in several areas of the brain. In APOEε4 carriers, PTSD symptoms were also associated with lower levels of cognitive function, measured with attention, working memory, semantic fluency, processing speed, and perceptual speed tests.

What to do about it

These findings can seem bleak, suggesting that one disease automatically leads to another. But with more knowledge about who’s at risk, we can better tailor our prevention strategies. Of course, if you suspect you’re struggling with PTSD, it’s best to talk to your doctor about what treatment is right for you.

But on the heart and brain health front, there are plenty of lifestyle factors that have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and dementia.

Here are just some research findings that can help you keep your heart and brain healthy for the long run:

The takeaway

A new study shines light on the connection between three conditions impacting millions of women: PTSD, heart disease, and dementia. Findings suggest women who experience more symptoms of PTSD have higher carotid IMT, a measure of heart disease risk. In women who are APOEε4, carriers, increased PTSD symptoms were associated with more signs of cognitive decline.

These disturbing findings underline the importance of lifestyle practices that can reduce heart disease and dementia risk—particularly for women who suffer from PTSD.