title: Relationship between serum lipid concentrations and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in soldiers with combat experiences.
abstract: The aim of our study was to assess concentrations of serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides in soldiers with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in comparison with combat-experienced soldiers without PTSD. The second aim of our study was to explore the relationship between PTSD symptoms such as re-experiencing, avoidance, increased arousal, and serum lipid levels. In 53 soldiers with combat-related PTSD and 49 with combat experiences without PTSD, serum cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides were assayed by an enzyme-assay method. Soldiers with combat-related PTSD were found to have significantly higher concentrations of cholesterol (P = 0.001), LDL-C (P = 0.002), and triglycerides (P = 0.001) than soldiers without current PTSD. HDL-C was statistically lower (P < 0.001) in soldiers with combat-related PTSD than in those without PTSD. A positive correlation was found between increased arousal and cholesterol (r = 0.464; P = 0.039), or LDL-C (r = 0.479; P = 0.021) concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Sestre milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia. dalibor.karlovic@zg.hinet.hr
authors.forename: Dalibor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karlović
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinac
authors.forename: Danijel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buljan
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zoricić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D014857:Warfare
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids