This study looks at why people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might have heart problems, like high blood pressure, later in life. Researchers want to know if the high adrenaline levels in PTSD patients during stress are linked to a specific gene. They will test if the medicine losartan helps lower these levels. PTSD often causes the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to be overactive, which can lead to heart issues. Losartan might help because it reduces SNS activity without causing many side effects.
Another method being studied is transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS). tVNS is a safe, noninvasive technique that uses mild electrical signals to stimulate a nerve in the neck, which might help balance the nervous system in PTSD patients.
- Participants: Veterans 18-65 years old with and without PTSD.
- Duration: 8-14 weeks of treatment with either losartan, atenolol, or tVNS.
- Exclusion: Conditions like pregnancy, heart disease, or drug use.
Participants will be randomly assigned to different treatments to see which works best for improving heart health in PTSD patients.