November 1, 2019 - 16:07 AMT
Stress disorders linked to risk for life-threatening infections: study

People who have stress disorders like PTSD may be more vulnerable to potentially life-threatening infections, especially if they are diagnosed at younger ages or dealing with other psychiatric issues, a recent study suggests, according to Reuters.

Researchers examined data on 144,919 people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorders common after a major life change like a death or move, and other stress-related conditions. They also looked at data for 184,612 siblings of these subjects who didn’t have a stress disorder, along with more than 1.4 million unrelated individuals without these disorders.

After an average follow-up of eight years, the annual incidence of life-threatening infections – including infections of the nervous system or heart - was 2.9 in every 1,000 people with stress disorders, compared with 1.7 in every 1,000 siblings and 1.3 in every 1,000 unrelated individuals.

“Severe or prolonged emotional stress causes alterations in multiple bodily functions through dysregulation in the release of stress hormones,” said Dr. Huan Song, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

“The hypothesis behind our research is that a severe reaction to trauma or other life stressors, through these pathways, leads to impaired immune function and thereby susceptibility to infection,” Song said by email.

Previous research has linked stress to an increased risk of acute and respiratory infections, the study authors note in The BMJ. The current analysis, however, focused only on life-threatening infections, including endocarditis caused by infections of the lining of the heart chambers and heart valves, meningitis and other nervous system infections, and infections that lead to sepsis.