The Irritable Heart - Study Looks at Long-term Health Effects of War

While research has been conducted on the effects of exposure to war combat and conflict, most studies are concentrated on the immediate impact and not the lifelong consequences of experiencing these traumatic events. In a study published in the February 2006 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers examined archival data on veterans of the American Civil War. The historical records revealed symptoms similar to what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as other illnesses including cardiac and gastrointestinal disease.

Learn more about this fascinating study in this article by K. Kris Hirst, About Guide to Archaeology:

• The Irritable Heart - Increased Risk of Physical and Psychological Effects of Trauma in Civil War Veterans

_{Image Credit: Ward in the Carver General Hospital, Washington, D.C., Photo Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.}