Metabolic Parameters of Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Introduction: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the postponed ot the prolonged response to the provocative event/incident, or to the situation of extremely threatening or catastrophic nature. Bilologic alterations of noradreneric and serotoninergic functions, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, endocrine and opioid systems, in the patients with PTSD, lead to organ disorder. The aim of this research: the aim is to determine the level of glucose in fasting blood and the level two hours after glucose tolerance test in patients with PTSD. Examinees and methods: this prospective study was held at the Cabinet of Neurophysiology Clinic for neuropsychiatric diseases at the Health Center in Tuzla in the time period from March 2008 until December 2008. The control group consisted of 50 clinically healthy subjects (44 men) age between 49,65±6,7 (30-61). The group that was examined consisted of 50 patients treated for PTSD, aged between 50,5±5,61 (39-62), of the same gender distribution as the control group. Results: the average level of glucose in blood was 7±2,74 mmol/L. A great number of patients with PTSD had that level higher than the standardized range for a helathy person. The average value of blood glucose after 120 minutes at glucose tolerance test was 6.1 ± 2.78 (2.7 to 12.7) mmol/L, and a larger number of subjects (52%) had this value within the standard range. Conclusion: the evaluation of the patients with the changed glucose tolerance tests may have the importance in determining furhter treatment strategy.