title: Potential association of posttraumatic stress disorder and decreased bone mineral density in repatriated prisoners of war.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a retrospective evaluation of bone mineral density data collected during routine medical follow-up evaluations of 241 Vietnam-era male repatriated prisoners of war, with and without the lifetime diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 79 subjects in a comparison group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans evaluated total hip and lumbar spine T-scores. A multivariate analysis of covariance was performed on the data using age, body mass index, ethnicity, and reported alcohol consumption as covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant effect of group on total hip, but not lumbar spine, T-scores. Pairwise comparisons revealed statistically lower total hip T-scores in repatriates with a lifetime history of PTSD in comparison to both the comparison group and repatriates without a lifetime history of PTSD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study of elderly repatriated prisoners of war, we noted an association between a lifelong history of PTSD and decreased bone mineral density at the hip.
authors: Robert E. Mitchell Center for Prisoner of War Studies, 220 Hovey Road, Pensacola, FL 32508, USA.
authors: Robert E
authors: RE
authors: Hain
authors: Robert E
authors: RE
authors: Hoyt
authors: Jeffrey L
authors: JL
authors: Moore
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Linnville
authors: Francine
authors: F
authors: Segovia
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Ambrose
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011329:Prisoners; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014481:United States; D047829:Vietnam Conflict