Summary: A new study reports women who are exposed to trauma and suffer post traumatic stress are at an increased risk of developing Lupus.
Source: Wiley.
In a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian women were strongly associated with increased risk of developing lupus, an autoimmune disease.
In the study of 54,763 women, investigators found a nearly three-fold elevated risk of lupus among women with probable PTSD and more than two-fold higher risk of lupus among women who had experienced any traumatic event compared with women not exposed to trauma.
The findings contribute to growing evidence that psychosocial trauma and associated stress responses may lead to autoimmune disease.
“We were surprised that exposure to trauma was so strongly associated with risk of lupus—trauma was a stronger predictor of developing lupus than smoking,” said Dr. Andrea Roberts, lead author of the study. Our results add to considerable scientific evidence that our mental health substantially affects our physical health, making access to mental health care even more urgent.”
Lupus Awareness Month takes place during October in the UK every year.
Source: Penny Smith – Wiley
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is credited to Nephron, licensed as CC BY SA 3.0.
Original Research: Abstract for “Association of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder with incident systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a longitudinal cohort of women” by Andrea L. Roberts PhD, Susan Malspeis MS, Laura D. Kubzansky PhD, Candace H. Feldman MD, Shun-Chiao Chang ScD, Karestan C. Koenen PhD, and Karen H. Costenbader MD, MPH in Arthritis and Rheumatology. Published online September 20 2017 doi:10.1002/art.40222
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]Wiley “PTSD Linked with Increased Lupus Risk.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 23 September 2017.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/lupus-ptsd-7556/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]Wiley (2017, September 23). PTSD Linked with Increased Lupus Risk. NeuroscienceNew. Retrieved September 23, 2017 from https://neurosciencenews.com/lupus-ptsd-7556/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]Wiley “PTSD Linked with Increased Lupus Risk.” https://neurosciencenews.com/lupus-ptsd-7556/ (accessed September 23, 2017).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]
Abstract
Association of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder with incident systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a longitudinal cohort of women
Objective: To conduct the first longitudinal study examining whether trauma exposure and PTSD are associated with increased risk of incident SLE in a civilian cohort.
Methods: We examined the association of trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms with SLE incidence over 24 years of follow-up in a U.S. longitudinal cohort of women (N=54,763). Incident SLE with ≥4 American College of Rheumatology criteria was ascertained by self-report and confirmed by medical record review. PTSD and trauma exposure were assessed with the Short Screening Scale for DSM-IV PTSD and the Brief Trauma Questionnaire. Women were categorized as having: no trauma, trauma and no PTSD symptoms, subclinical PTSD (1-3 symptoms), or probable PTSD (4-7 symptoms). We examined whether longitudinally assessed health risk factors (e.g., smoking, body mass index (BMI), oral contraceptive (OC) use) accounted for increased SLE risk among women with versus without trauma exposure and PTSD.
Results: During follow-up, 73 cases of SLE occurred. Compared to women with no trauma, probable PTSD was associated with increased SLE risk (HR4-7 symptoms =2.94, 95% CI=1.19-7.26, p<0.05). Subclinical PTSD was associated with increased SLE risk, though this did not reach statistical significance (HR1-3 symptoms =1.83, 95% CI=0.74-4.56, p=0.19). Smoking, BMI and OC use slightly attenuated associations (e.g., probable PTSD adjusted HR=2.62, 95% CI=1.09-6.48, p<0.05). Trauma exposure, regardless of PTSD symptoms, was strongly associated with incident SLE (HR=2.87, 95% CI=1.31, 6.28, p<0.01).
Conclusions: This study contributes to growing evidence that psychosocial trauma and associated stress responses may lead to autoimmune disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
“Association of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder with incident systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a longitudinal cohort of women” by Andrea L. Roberts PhD, Susan Malspeis MS, Laura D. Kubzansky PhD, Candace H. Feldman MD, Shun-Chiao Chang ScD, Karestan C. Koenen PhD, and Karen H. Costenbader MD, MPH in Arthritis and Rheumatology. Published online September 20 2017 doi:10.1002/art.40222
