Study: 9/11 stress sparked heart problems

Irvine, Calif. -- A study Tuesday linked the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with an increased incidence of heart problems in the United States.

The University of California at Irvine research linked psychological stress stemming from Sept. 11 to a 53-percent jump in heart issues in the three years after the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

The Los Angeles Times said the study was the first to link the terrorist attacks to heart problems, including high blood pressure and stroke, and noted most of the patients surveyed had watched the tragedy on television and were not directly involved.

Author Alison Holman told the newspaper most of the 1,500 adults studied had no pre-existing cardiac trouble. The problems persisted even after mitigating factors such as smoking and alcohol were eliminated.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.