The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), through its Office of Research Administration, received a $732,672.00 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837). This 4-year award, with a start date of February 1, 2025, will support research to examine the impact of evidence-based treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality among U.S. veterans.
The project aims to leverage UCLA's comprehensive database of over 2 million veterans with PTSD to analyze the effects of evidence-based psychotherapies and antidepressants on CVD outcomes. Specifically, the research will investigate whether receipt of these PTSD treatments, as well as clinically significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, are associated with reduced CVD incidence and mortality. Findings have the potential to guide PTSD treatment decisions to promote cardiovascular health and inform new approaches to prevent and manage CVD.