Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Late-Onset Smoking in the Vietnam Era Twin Registry

Epidemiological and clinical studies have consistently reported associations between smoking and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study analyzed diagnostic interview data on 6,744 members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry to clarify the PTSD-smoking relation and to examine whether genetic l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of consulting and clinical psychology Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 186 - 190
Main Authors Koenen, Karestan C, Hitsman, Brian, Lyons, Michael J, Stroud, Laura, Niaura, Raymond, McCaffery, Jeanne, Goldberg, Jack, Eisen, Seth A, True, William, Tsuang, Ming
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Psychological Association 01.02.2006
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Causality
Combat Disorders - epidemiology
Combat Disorders - genetics
Combat Disorders - psychology
Comorbidity
Diseases in Twins - epidemiology
Diseases in Twins - genetics
Diseases in Twins - psychology
Epidemiology
Female
Foreign Countries
Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics
Genetics
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Registries
Risk
Smoking
Smoking - epidemiology
Smoking - genetics
Smoking - psychology
Statistics as Topic
Twins
Twins, Dizygotic - genetics
Twins, Monozygotic - genetics
Veterans - psychology
Veterans - statistics & numerical data
Vietnam
Vietnam
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Summary:Epidemiological and clinical studies have consistently reported associations between smoking and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study analyzed diagnostic interview data on 6,744 members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry to clarify the PTSD-smoking relation and to examine whether genetic liability for smoking moderated this relation. Preexisting active (unremitted) PTSD increased risk of late-onset daily smoking. Remitted PTSD decreased risk. Active PTSD increased risk of smoking at all levels of genetic liability; the effect was strongest for those with least genetic liability. This suggests PTSD represents a nongenetic pathway to late-onset smoking among individuals who were nonsmokers prior to developing PTSD. If replicated, these results identify PTSD as a risk factor for smoking that should lead to early tobacco control treatment in this population.
ISSN:0022-006X
1939-2117
DOI:10.1037/0022-006X.74.1.186