24 May 2023
New research in the Internal Medicine Journal, a publication of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, has found that there could be a link between post-traumatic stress disorder, and gut health. The research is being released in the May issue of the IMJ on Wednesday May 24.
The study looked specifically at Australian veterans and found that those with PTSD were 77-81% more likely to undergo upper gastrointestinal procedures – such as endoscopies and ultrasounds – than those without PTSD.
Professor Darrell Crawford, author of the paper The impact of Post-Traumatic stress disorder on upper gastrointestinal investigations in Australian Defence Force veterans – a retrospective review says “This research has found a very interesting link between PTSD and gut issues – that we’re excited to explore further.
“We previously showed that Veterans with PTSD were up to 8 times more likely to experience gut-related symptoms or diagnoses than those without PTSD.
“The psychological effects of PTSD seem to be associated with numerous physical comorbidities, including acid reflux, peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome and fatty liver disease, all of which we have seen in Vietnam veterans.
“Our studies continue to show how physical and mental health are interrelated. There needs to be more clinician awareness of the association between PTSD and gut symptoms.
“Our previous study showed that colonoscopy rates among male veterans with PTSD were much higher than the rates of their counterparts without PTSD, which led us to wonder if there would be similar results for upper gastrointestinal investigations.
“This same study suggested that PTSD could be a risk factor for colonic polyp formation, or abnormal tissue growth on the colon, but whether or not it leads to an increase in malignant or cancerous polyps we are still assessing.
“Chronic stress and hyperarousal due to trauma exposure may trigger symptoms and can lead to the development of symptom-based diseases that don’t currently have identifiable physical causes, like IBS.
“This research suggests we should be carefully considering the emotional experience of a patient and how it can influence their physical health.
“We are continuing to investigate the relationship between PTSD and gut health in active male veterans as a way to expand our research and deepen our understanding of the relationships between PTSD and gut health.
“Our veterans do so much for us and put their lives on the line for our country. As health professionals, and as a society, we need to invest our time and efforts in ensuring we take care of them as best we can, especially those experiencing PTSD.”