Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health
February 3, 2025 – Two major new studies from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reveal that veterans of the Vietnam War continue to face significant psychological and physical health challenges decades after their combat experience. The research, one of the longest observational studies of Vietnam veterans to date, finds that PTSD and combat exposure are strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and chronic illnesses, as well as ongoing psychological distress, with effects persisting up to 50 years after their service.
Published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM), the studies are the result of a unique, 35-year-long investigation into the health and well-being of now aging Vietnam War veterans. (See Impact of Persistent Combat-Related PTSD on Heart Disease and Chronic Disease Comorbidity in Aging Vietnam Veterans and Persistence and Patterns of Combat-Related PTSD, Medical, and Social Dysfunction in Male Military Veterans 50 Years After Deployment to Vietnam.) A subgroup of 729 still living veterans deployed to Vietnam, drawn from a broader sample of 12,400 men who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, were surveyed over three data collection periods (1984, 1998, and 2020). The study shows that both combat exposure and PTSD are key predictors of long-term physical and mental health outcomes.
"Combat exposure and PTSD were strong predictors of heart disease and other chronic illnesses in veterans, especially those who faced the most intense combat," said Jeanne Stellman, PhD, co-author and Professor Emerita of Health Policy and Management at Columbia Mailman School. "This research reinforces how the trauma of war continues to affect veterans long after the war ends."
The study’s findings are especially concerning regarding veterans’ cardiovascular health: 28% of participants reported being diagnosed with heart disease, with those who experienced higher levels of combat exposure being twice as likely to report heart disease compared to those with less exposure. PTSD was also strongly associated with increased rates of chronic conditions such as arthritis (46.5%), sleep apnea (33%), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (23.5%).
"These findings are significant not only for veterans but for public health as […]
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