MedWire News: People who suffered from severe stress-related symptoms in response to the terrorist attacks on New York in 2001 have experienced high rates of cardiovascular problems since the tragedy, US study results show.

"On 9/11 (September 11, 2001), the US public experienced a terrorist event of extraordinary scope and traumatic impact. Studies have documented substantial short-term psychological response to 9/11, but its effect on physical health has received limited attention," explain Dr E Alison Holman, from the University of California in Irvine, and colleagues.

To investigate whether the stressful events of 9/11 have caused an increase in cardiovascular problems, the researchers studied medical data on 2729 US adults, most of whom had completed an online health assessment before the terrorist attacks.

Between 9 to 14 days after the attacks, the participants completed an online survey regarding their stress responses, providing information on anxiety symptoms, feelings of detachment and whether they had re-experienced the event in their minds.

The participants were then surveyed about their health again each year for the next 3 years.

The researchers found that before the attacks, 22% of the participants had been diagnosed with a heart ailment, but this figure had risen to 31% 3 years after the attacks.

Further analysis revealed that participants who reported high levels of stress immediately after the attacks were about twice as likely as other participants to report being diagnosed with high blood pressure and three times as likely to report a diagnosis of heart problems over the study period.

"These findings highlight the possibility that acute stress reactions may indicate subsequent vulnerability to potentially serious health problems," the researchers conclude in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Dr Holman added: "Extremely stressful events may precipitate biological processes that increase one's risk of developing cardiovascular ailments."