title: Subclinical Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Relationships with Blood Pressure, Hostility, and Sleep.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among subclinical PTSD symptoms, blood pressure, and several variables linked to both frank PTSD and the basic psychobiological adaptation to stress. The authors recruited a sample of 91 healthy, young men and women between 18 and 35 years. We examined links among subclinical posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, blood pressure, sleep quality, and hostility. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were associated with poorer sleep quality and higher hostility scores in both women and men. In men, PTSD symptoms were also associated with elevated resting diastolic blood pressure, and sex was an important moderator of that relationship. Moreover, sleep quality and hostility are substantive mediators of the relationship between diastolic blood pressure and PTSD. Behavioral interventions designed to increase sleep quality and restructure hostile attitudes could potentially serve as preventive interventions for PTSD and the underlying cardiovascular comorbidities in young adults.
authors.affiliation: Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville, SC 29605, USA.
authors.forename: James A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1803-4589
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCubbin
authors.affiliation: Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville, SC 29605, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zinzow
authors.affiliation: Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hibdon
authors.affiliation: Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
authors.forename: Anastasia V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.affiliation: Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
authors.forename: Gregg W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
authors.forename: Caitlyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.affiliation: Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
authors.forename: Fred S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Switzer