Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitoring in Viet Nam veterans

Abstract

This exploratory study provided an opportunity to examine the feasibility of applying 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitoring procedures to the study of cardiovascular correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Viet Nam combat veterans. A primary concern was investigating the differences in 24-hour ambulatory measures in Viet Nam combat veterans with and without PTSD. The results showed that relative to non-PTSD veterans (n=5), veterans with PTSD (n=10) appeared to exhibit higher levels of cardiovascular variables, particularly heart rate. The heart rate of PTSD subjects was approximately 10 bpm greater than that of veterans without PTSD. Heart rates during sleep were also apparently higher among PTSD veterans, compared to non-PTSD subjects. However, none of these differences was statistically significant. It was concluded that ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitoring in Viet Nam veterans with and without PTSD is feasible, and based on the results, further investigation with larger samples is warranted. These results, combined with similar results obtained in laboratory-based studies, seem to suggest that Viet Nam veterans with combat-related PTSD may exhibit increased chronic cardiovascular arousal, and may, therefore, be at greater risk for developing cardiovascular