Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is Associated With Impaired Coronary Distensibility and Predicts Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events

Introduction: Impaired coronary distensibility index (CDI) is an endothelial dependent process and is associated with vulnerable plaque composition and cardiovascular mortality. We recently reported that PTSD is independently associated with impaired CDI. This study investigates the relation of impaired CDI and PTSD with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Hypothesis: There is a significant association between PTSD and impaired CDI with MACE. Methods: This study is consist of 246 subjects (aged 63±10 years, 12% women) with (n=50) and without (n=196) PTSD underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) and their CDI were assessed. Subjects were followed for the median of 50 months. CDI in left anterior descending artery (LAD) was defined as: [(Early diastole - mid diastole lumen cross section area (CSA))/ (lumen CSA in mid diastole x central pulse pressure) x 1000]. Major-adverse-cardiac-event (MACE) was defined as myocardial-infarction or cardiovascular-death. Survival regression was employed to a...