Table 2.
Sample Characteristics, Veterans Age 30 to 70 Years and Free of CVD (n=4178)
| Variable, n (%) or Mean (±SD) | Overall (n=4178) | No PTSD (n=1659) | PTSD (n=2519) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcome | ||||
| Median (IQR) follow‐up (d) | 1547.5 (1112.0–1967.0) | 1577.0 (1028.0–2019.0) | 1530.0 (1137.0–1927.0) | 0.459 |
| Cumulative incidence | ||||
| Crude, n (%) | 782 (18.7) | 268 (16.1) | 514 (20.4) | 0.001 |
| Age‐adjusted, % | 16.9 | 13.6 | 19.0 | <0.0001 |
| Incidence rate, PY | ||||
| Crude | 46.1/1000 PY | 40.0/1000 PY | 50.1/1000 PY | 0.003 |
| Age‐adjusted | 41.4/1000 PY | 33.3/1000 PY | 46.7/1000 PY | <0.0001 |
| Age, mean (±SD) (y) | 50.1 (±11.0) | 51.6 (±10.8) | 49.1 (±11.0) | <0.0001 |
| Age category, n (%) (y) | ||||
| 30–39 | 909 (21.8) | 301 (18.1) | 608 (24.1) | <0.0001 |
| 40–49 | 1018 (24.4) | 354 (21.3) | 664 (26.4) | |
| 50–59 | 1127 (27.0) | 508 (30.6) | 619 (24.6) | |
| 60–70 | 1124 (26.9) | 496 (29.9) | 628 (24.9) | |
| Male sex, n (%) | 3635 (87.0) | 1442 (86.9) | 2193 (87.1) | 0.896 |
| Race, n (%) | ||||
| White | 2554 (61.1) | 1048 (63.2) | 1506 (59.8) | <0.0001 |
| Black | 1092 (26.1) | 325 (19.6) | 767 (30.5) | |
| Other | 284 (6.8) | 109 (6.6) | 175 (6.9) | |
| Missing | 248 (5.9) | 177 (10.7) | 71 (2.8) | |
| Marital status, n (%) | ||||
| Not married | 2048 (49.0) | 758 (45.7) | 1290 (51.2) | <0.0001a |
| Married | 2013 (48.2) | 787 (47.4) | 1226 (48.7) | |
| Missing | 117 (2.8) | 114 (6.9) | <5 | |
| VHA only insurance, n (%) | 2515 (60.2) | 1071 (64.6) | 1444 (57.3) | <0.0001 |
| High primary HCU, n (%) | 1185 (28.4) | 293 (17.7) | 892 (35.4) | <0.0001 |
| Comorbiditiesb | ||||
| PTSD severityc | ··· | ··· | (n=1981) | |
| Mean PCL score (±SD) | 57.2 (±15.7) | |||
| PCL 17–35 | ··· | ··· | 214 (10.8) | |
| PCL 36–70 | ··· | ··· | 1349 (68.1) | ··· |
| PCL 71–85 | ··· | ··· | 418 (21.1) | |
| Depression, n (%) | 2153 (51.5) | 308 (18.6) | 1845 (73.2) | <0.0001 |
| Other anxiety, n (%) | 939 (22.5) | 165 (9.9) | 774 (30.7) | <0.0001 |
| Sleep disorder, n (%) | 1950 (46.7) | 456 (27.5) | 1494 (59.3) | <0.0001 |
| SUD, n (%) | 1547 (37.0) | 315 (19.0) | 1232 (48.9) | <0.0001 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 2299 (55.0) | 796 (48.0) | 1503 (59.7) | <0.0001 |
| Hyperlipidemia, n (%) | 2293 (54.9) | 749 (45.2) | 1544 (61.3) | <0.0001 |
| Type 2 diabetes mellitus | 755 (18.1) | 247 (14.9) | 508 (20.2) | <0.0001 |
| Obesity, n (%)d | 2361 (56.5) | 776 (46.8) | 1585 (62.9) | <0.0001 |
| BMI, mean (±SD)e | 29.9 (±5.9) | 29.3 (±5.9) | 30.2 (±5.9) | <0.0001 |
| BMI categorye | ||||
| <25 | 762 (18.2) | 323 (19.5) | 439 (17.4) | <0.0001 |
| 25 to <30 | 1407 (33.7) | 520 (31.3) | 887 (35.2) | |
| ≥30 | 1749 (41.9) | 592 (35.7) | 1157 (45.9) | |
| Missing | 260 (6.2) | 224 (13.5) | 36 (1.4) | |
| Smoking, n (%) | ||||
| Never | 1571 (37.6) | 732 (44.1) | 839 (33.3) | <0.0001 |
| Former | 642 (15.4) | 272 (16.4) | 370 (14.7) | |
| Current | 1965 (47.0) | 655 (39.5) | 1310 (52.0) | |
BMI indicates body mass index; CVD, cardiovascular disease; HCU, healthcare utilization; IQR, interquartile range; PCL, PTSD checklist; PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder; PY, person‐years; SUD, substance abuse/dependence; VHA, Veterans Health Affairs.
a
Exact P value.
b
Comorbidities occur anytime before either CVD or last visit date.
c
Last PTSD Checklist (PCL) before CVD or last visit date, limited to n=1981 patients with PTSD who had ≥1 PCL score.
d
BMI≥30 or ICD‐9, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code.
e
Last BMI before CVD or last visit date. There were 3918 overall: 2483 patients with PTSD and 1435 without PTSD.