Groundbreaking studies reveal lasting impact of PTSD on Vietnam veterans, linking combat to CVD and chronic health issues; psychosocial conditions more than 50 years later

Research underscores the long-term psychological and physical health challenges facing aging veterans of the Vietnam War and their broader implications

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

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February 3, 2025 – Two major new studies from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reveal that veterans of the Vietnam War continue to face significant psychological and physical health challenges decades after their combat experience. The research, one of the longest observational studies of Vietnam veterans to date, finds that PTSD and combat exposure are strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and chronic illnesses, as well as ongoing psychological distress, with effects persisting up to 50 years after their service.

Published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM), the studies are the result of a unique, 35-year-long investigation into the health and well-being of now aging Vietnam War veterans. (See Impact of Persistent Combat-Related PTSD on Heart Disease and Chronic Disease Comorbidity in Aging Vietnam Veterans and Persistence and Patterns of Combat-Related PTSD, Medical, and Social Dysfunction in Male Military Veterans 50 Years After Deployment to Vietnam.) A subgroup of 729 still living veterans deployed to Vietnam, drawn from a broader sample of 12,400 men who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, were surveyed over three data collection periods (1984, 1998, and 2020). The study shows that both combat exposure and PTSD are key predictors of long-term physical and mental health outcomes.

"Combat exposure and PTSD were strong predictors of heart disease and other chronic illnesses in veterans, especially those who faced the most intense combat," said Jeanne Stellman, PhD, co-author and Professor Emerita of Health Policy and Management at Columbia Mailman School. "This research reinforces how the trauma of war continues to affect veterans long after the war ends."

The study’s findings are especially concerning regarding veterans' cardiovascular health: 28% of participants reported being diagnosed with heart disease, with those who experienced higher levels of combat exposure being twice as likely to report heart disease compared to those with less exposure. PTSD was also strongly associated with increased rates of chronic conditions such as arthritis (46.5%), sleep apnea (33%), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (23.5%).

"These findings are significant not only for veterans but for public health as a whole," said Steven Stellman, PhD, co-author and Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman. "The ongoing health risks, particularly cardiovascular disease, highlight the need for long-term care strategies that account for both the psychological and physical burdens of PTSD."

Sub-threshold PTSD

A form of PTSD where veterans’ symptoms fall below the threshold for a formal diagnosis—was also identified as a significant contributor to health issues. Veterans with sub-threshold PTSD were found to have worse physical and mental health outcomes than those who never experienced PTSD. Despite the clear evidence of distress, veterans with sub-threshold PTSD are often ineligible for Veterans Affairs (VA) services, highlighting a critical gap in the current healthcare system.

"Veterans with sub-threshold PTSD suffer significant health burdens that are often overlooked," said Steven Stellman, emphasizing the need for updated VA policies to include these veterans in care and treatment programs.

The study tracking the psychosocial aspects of combat exposure identified four distinct patterns of PTSD over 35 years. In 2020, 9% of veterans still had PTSD, with 15.5% of those who had been exposed to heavy combat. Additionally, 25% had sub-threshold PTSD, while 10% had PTSD in the past but no longer exhibited symptoms. More than half (56%) of the participants never experienced PTSD. Those with PTSD or sub-threshold PTSD reported significantly worse life satisfaction, higher levels of anxiety and depression, and poorer overall health.
 

"Veterans who had fewer community social supports upon their return from Vietnam were more likely to develop PTSD," noted Jeanne Stellman. This finding underscores the importance of early, ongoing social and mental health support for veterans as they reintegrate into civilian life.

The study also links PTSD to social and familial challenges. Veterans with PTSD or sub-threshold PTSD had higher rates of divorce and separation, especially those who had been exposed to more intense combat. These long-term mental health effects contribute to the complex, multifaceted challenges faced by aging veterans.

With an average age of 72, this cohort of veterans is at a critical stage in life, and their ongoing health problems necessitate continued attention from both healthcare providers and policymakers. The researchers call for a more comprehensive approach to veteran care, one that considers the full spectrum of PTSD symptoms, including sub-threshold cases, and addresses both the psychological and physical toll of combat.

“The relationship between PTSD and chronic illness, particularly cardiovascular disease, continues to evolve, and it is essential to continue assessing and treating the long-term effects of these conditions,” said Jeanne Stellman. "This study provides crucial insights into the lasting legacy of the Vietnam War on those who served and underscores the urgent need for improved care and policies to address their ongoing health needs."

The study was funded by The Foundation for Worker, Veteran and Environmental Health (VA241-17-Q-0337), The American Legion, The American Cancer Society, National Academy of Sciences (NASVA-5124- 98-001), and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Other co-authors of the study include Anica Pless Kaiser, Brian N. Smith, and Avron Spiro from the National Center for PTSD and Boston University School of Medicine.

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Founded in 1922, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Columbia Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its nearly 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change and health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with more than 1,300 graduate students from 55 nations pursuing a variety of master’s and doctoral degree programs. The Columbia Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers, including ICAP and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit www.mailman.columbia.edu.

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Journal

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0000000000003302 

Article Title

Impact of Persistent Combat-Related PTSD on Heart Disease and Chronic Disease Comorbidity in Aging Vietnam Veterans

 

Study finds most Americans oppose detaining sick undocumented immigrants but support post-treatment detention

Survey is first to assess attitudes toward interior border checkpoints and health care access

Texas A&M University

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A major new study has found that most people in the United States are not in favor of detaining sick, undocumented immigrants who reach interior border checkpoints, but do support detention after medical treatment is complete.

Researchers with the Texas A&M University School of Public Health surveyed more than 6,100 respondents. Their study is thought to be the first to assess the public’s perceptions of the role of the nation’s interior border checkpoints as gatekeepers to health care access.

These checkpoints are in the United States within 25 and 100 miles of the border for the purpose of ensuring that all individuals passing through can provide evidence of citizenship or legal status in the United States. There are 110 permanent checkpoints and an estimated 170 temporary checkpoints, which combined process more than 50 million vehicles every year.

“Legal status—along with racism, language skills, safe housing, transportation and similar factors—is an important social determinant of health,” said Christine Crudo Blackburn, PhD. “These contribute to a wide array of systemic health disparities and inequities that reduce quality of life and life expectancy.”

Blackburn said immigration enforcement policies enforced through interior border checkpoints could contribute to health disparities by preventing immigrants and their families from seeking needed medical care. These policies, as well as trauma associated with their enforcement, often decrease immigrants’ trust in health care institutions.

“Undocumented individuals throughout the U.S. border zone often must decide between receiving medical care and facing deportation or forgoing or delaying care, and this is likely to increase as interior immigration enforcement continues to be a higher political priority,” she said. “The U.S. government has dedicated millions of dollars to expand these checkpoints along the border with Mexico.”

Blackburn and Simon F. Haeder, PhD, both with the Department of Health Policy and Management, conducted the study, which was published in Health Economics, Policy and Law.

The pair surveyed 6,178 respondents in the United States between Nov. 13 and Nov. 19, 2023, to determine public opinion regarding internal border checkpoints as barriers to health care access, as well as perceptions of undocumented immigrants’ right to health care access.

“Our analyses found broad public support for expanding existing policies to allow for undocumented individuals to pass through internal border checkpoints to access medical care,” Haeder said. “In addition, respondents supported detention when the patient completed medical treatment and was released.”

In addition, respondents were generally more sympathetic toward children and pregnant women. Political partisanship and sympathy for undocumented immigrants influenced opinions about all four potential locations of detention as well as for both emergency and non-emergency situations.

“These findings generally support studies that show Americans are becoming increasingly pro-immigrant,” Blackburn said. “Our findings are more nuanced, however, because immigrant demographics play an important role and because most respondents supported detention at some point in the care-seeking process or upon release, which may ultimately deter undocumented immigrants from seeking care in the first place.”

Blackburn said future research should focus on whether Americans only support maintaining access to care or if there is support for expanding access to care for undocumented immigrants.

“This is an ongoing issue not just in the political realm, but also in the public health realm as we seek to increase equity and improve health care access for all,” Blackburn said.

By Ann Kellett, Texas A&M University School of Public Health

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Journal

Health Economics Policy and Law

DOI

10.1017/S1744133124000252 

Article Title

US public opinion about interior border checkpoints and health care access for undocumented immigrants

 

Earth detecting Earth

Could a twin Earth detect Earth?

SETI Institute

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image: 

 Earth Detecting Earth animation video by Zayna Sheikh

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Credit: Image credit: Zayna Sheikh

Earth Detecting Earth

Could a twin Earth detect Earth?

February 3, 2025, Mountain View, CA – A research team led by Dr. Sofia Sheikh of the SETI Institute, in collaboration with the Characterizing Atmospheric Technosignatures project and the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, set out to answer a simple question: If an extraterrestrial civilization existed with technology similar to ours, would they be able to detect Earth and evidence of humanity? If so, what signals would they detect, and from how far away?

Researchers used a theoretical, modeling-based method, and this study is the first to analyze multiple types of technosignatures together rather than separately. The findings revealed that radio signals, such as planetary radar emissions from the former Arecibo Observatory, are Earth’s most detectable technosignatures, potentially visible from up to 12,000 light-years away.

Atmospheric technosignatures—such as nitrogen dioxide emissions—have become more detectable than they were a decade ago, thanks to advances in instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope and the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). With HWO we could detect these emissions from as far as 5.7 light-years away, just beyond our closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri.

Finally, as you get closer and closer to Earth, you would detect more and more human-made signatures simultaneously, including city lights, lasers, heat islands, and satellites, offering a comprehensive view of our technological presence.

"Our goal with this project was to bring SETI back 'down to Earth' for a moment and think about where we really are today with Earth's technosignatures and detection capabilities,” said Macy Huston, co-author and postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley, Department of Astronomy. “In SETI, we should never assume other life and technology would be just like ours, but quantifying what 'ours' means can help put SETI searches into perspective."

“One of the most satisfying aspects of this work was getting to use SETI as a cosmic mirror: what does Earth look like to the rest of the galaxy? And how would our current impacts on our planet be perceived,” said Sheikh. “While of course we cannot know the answer, this work allowed us to extrapolate and imagine what we might assume if we ever discover a planet, with, say, high concentrations of pollutants in its atmosphere."

SETI scientists search for advanced alien civilizations by looking for signs of technology -- signals or patterns that cannot be explained by natural phenomena that may indicate intelligent life. These signals are called technosignatures and come in various forms. Radio telescopes are the most commonly used tool for SETI searches. Researchers also use optical telescopes to scan for laser pulses that could indicate communication or propulsion patterns. Another approach involves studying the atmospheres of exoplanets in habitable zones around stars to look for chemical signatures that might suggest life or industrial activity. SETI scientists also consider technologies far beyond those currently invented on Earth, such as Dyson spheres, but these far-future technologies were not considered in this study.

This study demonstrates how Earth’s technosignatures can provide a multiwavelength framework for understanding the detectability of technology on other planets and shaping our search for intelligent life beyond Earth. Future telescopes and receivers could enhance our detection sensitivity or enable us to identify new types of technosignatures, such as such as other atmospheric signatures of pollution. Repeating this type of study over the years as astronomical technology advances and the human impact on the planet evolves could provide fresh insights and refine our approach to discovering extraterrestrial life.

This paper appears in the Astronomical Journal article "Earth Detecting Earth: At What Distance Could Earth's Constellation of Technosignatures be Detected with Present-day Technology? " by Sheikh et al.

DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ada3c7

About the SETI Institute

Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity's quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and to share that knowledge with the world. Our research encompasses the physical and biological sciences and leverages expertise in data analytics, machine learning and advanced signal detection technologies. The SETI Institute is a distinguished research partner for industry, academia and government agencies, including NASA and NSF.

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Journal

The Astronomical Journal

DOI

10.3847/1538-3881/ada3c7 

Article Title

Earth Detecting Earth: At What Distance Could Earth's Constellation of Technosignatures Be Detected with Present-day Technology?

Article Publication Date

3-Feb-2025

 

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)

How prenatal alcohol exposure affects behavior into adulthood

Rodent study identifies a brain circuit that is disrupted by alcohol exposure during prenatal development and contributes to poor decision-making in adulthood

Society for Neuroscience

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Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), characterized by symptoms of cognitive decline, such as worsened memory and impaired decision-making, are alarmingly prevalent globally. In a new study in JNeurosci led by Amy Griffin at the University of Delaware, researchers used rats to find brain circuits that may contribute to the cognitive issues that FASD patients experience, with the end goal of informing treatment strategies. Brain regions linked with working memory and decision-making were damaged in baby rats following exposure to alcohol during the age equivalent of the third trimester of pregnancy. After these rats aged into adulthood, Griffin and colleagues recorded from their brains while they performed tasks related to memory and decision-making. Rats showed impaired decision-making behaviors that were associated with disrupted communication between damaged brain regions. The researchers also developed a machine-learning algorithm that could accurately predict whether rats were exposed to alcohol or not based off their behavior alone. This study points to a brain circuit that is disrupted by third trimester alcohol exposure and contributes to FASD-like cognitive impairment in rats, which is informative for future research aiming to improve treatment strategies, according to the authors. 

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Manuscript title: Choice Behaviors and Prefrontal-Hippocampal Coupling are Disrupted in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Please contact media@sfn.org for full-text PDF

About JNeurosci

JNeurosci, the Society for Neuroscience's first journal, was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship.

About The Society for Neuroscience

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.

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Journal

JNeurosci

DOI

10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1241-24.2025 

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Choice Behaviors and Prefrontal-Hippocampal Coupling are Disrupted in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Article Publication Date

3-Feb-2025

  

A roadmap for protecting our democracies in the age of AI

University of Ottawa

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The year 2025 will be an important one for democracies worldwide: several dozen countries are due to hold national elections in a world profoundly transformed by artificial intelligence (AI). Recent cases – notably in Romania, Brazil, Gabon and the United States – illustrate the need for action to protect electoral integrity as the proliferation of fake news and growing use of deepfakes – in particular – are affecting public confidence and the quality of democratic debate.

To meet these challenges, academic experts from the North and the South have proposed actions aimed at supporting our institutions to better guard against the negative effects and risks generated by AI interference on elections and democratic processes.

This framework comprises four priority actions:

1. Modernizing regulatory frameworks with the adoption of clear rules framing the use of AI during elections.
2. Adoption of codes of conduct for the use of AI by political parties.
3. Establishment of independent teams to monitor electoral integrity and prepare public response plans in the event of AI-fueled threats to elections.
4. Development of an International AI Electoral Trust keepers and international legal assistance protocols to respond to cases of AI-based electoral interference.

A major global initiative

These recommendations have been developed as part of the Global Policy Briefs on AI, a new joint endeavor of IVADO, Canada's leading AI research and knowledge mobilization consortium, and the University of Ottawa's AI + Society Initiative. This project aims to provide policymakers with public policy recommendations to address today's major global AI challenges.

For the first brief in this series – 'AI in the Ballot Box: Four Actions to Safeguard Election Integrity and Uphold Democracy' – Prof. Catherine Régis (Université de Montréal and IVADO) and Prof. Florian Martin-Bariteau (University of Ottawa) brought together researchers representing North America, South America, Africa and Europe.

“This mobilization reflects how important it is to take action, but also represents a unique opportunity to help shape the future of our democracies. By pooling academic expertise on an international scale, we can develop solutions that will preserve the integrity of democratic processes,” says Professor Catherine Régis, Director of Social Innovation and International Policy at IVADO.

“This mobilization reflects how important it is to take action, but also represents a unique opportunity to help shape the future of our democracies. By pooling academic expertise on an international scale, we can develop solutions that will preserve the integrity of democratic processes,” says Professor Catherine Régis, Director of Social Innovation and International Policy at IVADO.

“With our democracies under threat, AI-driven interference requires swift and concrete actions from leaders – both at the national and international level. Without a concerted global effort to align laws, build capacity, and develop processes to mitigate AI risks, Canada – and democracies around the world – remain vulnerable,” says Professor Florian Martin-Bariteau, Director of the AI + Society Initiative at the University of Ottawa.

Next steps

IVADO, the University of Ottawa AI + Society Initiative, and their partners will present the recommendations contained in this first brief at an event on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit on Monday, February 10, 2025 at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in Paris.

A further retreat is scheduled for the end of 2025 to produce a global policy brief on another major challenge raised by AI.

The project was supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec, the CEIMIA, the Canada-CIFAR Chair in AI and Human Rights at Mila, and the University of Ottawa Research Chair in Technology and Society. The week-long retreat was organized with the help of the Délégation du Québec à Rome and the Società Italiana per l'Organizzazione Internazionale.The project was supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec, the CEIMIA, the Canada-CIFAR Chair in AI and Human Rights at Mila, and the University of Ottawa Research Chair in Technology and Society. The week-long retreat was organized with the help of the Délégation du Québec à Rome and the Società Italiana per l'Organizzazione Internazionale.

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Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

AI in the Ballot Box

Article Publication Date

3-Feb-2025

Generative AI bias poses risk to democratic values

University of East Anglia

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Generative AI, a technology that is developing at breakneck speed, may carry hidden risks that could erode public trust and democratic values, according to a study led by the University of East Anglia (UEA). 

In collaboration with researchers from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and Insper, both in Brazil, the research showed that ChatGPT exhibits biases in both text and image outputs — leaning toward left-wing political values — raising questions about fairness and accountability in its design.  

The study revealed that ChatGPT often declines to engage with mainstream conservative viewpoints while readily producing left-leaning content. This uneven treatment of ideologies underscores how such systems can distort public discourse and exacerbate societal divides. 

Dr Fabio Motoki, a Lecturer in Accounting in UEA’s Norwich Business School, is the lead researcher on the paper, ‘Assessing Political Bias and Value Misalignment in Generative Artificial Intelligence’, published today in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 

Dr Motoki said: “Our findings suggest that generative AI tools are far from neutral. They reflect biases that could shape perceptions and policies in unintended ways.” 

As AI becomes an integral part of journalism, education, and policymaking, the study calls for transparency and regulatory safeguards to ensure alignment with societal values and principles of democracy. 

Generative AI systems like ChatGPT are re-shaping how information is created, consumed, interpreted, and distributed across various domains. These tools, while innovative, risk amplifying ideological biases and influencing societal values in ways that are not fully understood or regulated. 

Co-author Dr Pinho Neto, a Professor in Economics at EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance, highlighted the potential societal ramifications. 

Dr Pinho Neto said: “Unchecked biases in generative AI could deepen existing societal divides, eroding trust in institutions and democratic processes. 

“The study underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between policymakers, technologists, and academics to design AI systems that are fair, accountable, and aligned with societal norms.” 

The research team employed three innovative methods to assess political alignment in ChatGPT, advancing prior techniques to achieve more reliable results. These methods combined text and image analysis, leveraging advanced statistical and machine learning tools. 

First, the study used a standardized questionnaire developed by the Pew Research Center to simulate responses from average Americans.  

“By comparing ChatGPT’s answers to real survey data, we found systematic deviations toward left-leaning perspectives,” said Dr Motoki. “Furthermore, our approach demonstrated how large sample sizes stabilize AI outputs, providing consistency in the findings.” 

In the second phase, ChatGPT was tasked with generating free-text responses across politically sensitive themes.  

The study also used RoBERTa, a different large language model, to compare ChatGPT’s text for alignment with left- and right-wing viewpoints. The results revealed that while ChatGPT aligned with left-wing values in most cases, on themes like military supremacy, it occasionally reflected more conservative perspectives. 

The final test explored ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities. Themes from the text generation phase were used to prompt AI-generated images, with outputs analysed using GPT-4 Vision and corroborated through Google’s Gemini.  

“While image generation mirrored textual biases, we found a troubling trend,” said Victor Rangel, co-author and a Masters’ student in Public Policy at Insper. “For some themes, such as racial-ethnic equality, ChatGPT refused to generate right-leaning perspectives, citing misinformation concerns. Left-leaning images, however, were produced without hesitation.” 

To address these refusals, the team employed a ’jailbreaking’ strategy to generate the restricted images.  

“The results were revealing,” Mr Rangel said. “There was no apparent disinformation or harmful content, raising questions about the rationale behind these refusals.” 

Dr Motoki emphasized the broader significance of this finding, saying: “This contributes to debates around constitutional protections like the US First Amendment and the applicability of fairness doctrines to AI systems.” 

The study’s methodological innovations, including its use of multimodal analysis, provide a replicable model for examining bias in generative AI systems. These findings highlight the urgent need for accountability and safeguards in AI design to prevent unintended societal consequences. 

The paper, ‘Assessing Political Bias and Value Misalignment in Generative Artificial Intelligence’ by Fabio Motoki, Valdemar Pinho Neto, and Victor Rangel, is published 4 February 2025 in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 

 

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Journal

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

Method of Research

Content analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Assessing Political Bias and Value Misalignment in Generative Artificial Intelligence

Article Publication Date

4-Feb-2025