Key result
Service-connected disability in veterans is linked to ~36% higher odds of hypertension versus non-veterans.
Why the study?
It is unknown if veterans with service-connected disability have greater risk for hypertension than veterans without disability and non-veterans.
Does veteran status with or without service-connected disability influence the risk of hypertension compared to non-veterans?
Cross-Sectional (n=23,685)
Does veteran status with or without service-connected disability influence the risk of hypertension compared to non-veterans?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
The increased prevalence of hypertension among veterans is significantly mediated by mental health diagnoses and health behavior trajectories, highlighting the need to address these factors in prevention and treatment.
Military service-connected disability (SCD) is associated with socioeconomic status, mental health, and health behaviors and thereby increases hypertension risk. It is unknown if veterans with SCD have greater risk for hypertension than veterans without SCD and non-veterans. PURPOSE: To compare hypertension risk among non-veterans and veterans with and without SCD. METHODS: Public-use data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed. Three focal study groups were defined: non-veterans (n=21,438); veterans without SCD (n=1,605); veterans with SCD (n=642). Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. Covariates and potential mediators included exogenous demographic variables, socioeconomic and marital status variables, mental health diagnosis variables, and health behaviors. RESULTS: Hypertension prevalence was greater among veterans with (44.2%) and without SCD (44.4%) compared with non-veterans (27.1%, p<0.001). Controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and marital status variables, veterans with and without SCD had greater odds of hypertension (OR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.36 [1.08-1.71] and 1.15 [1.00-1.31], respectively) compared with non-veterans (p<0.001). Relative to non-veterans, the inclusion of anxiety and depression diagnoses in the model reduced hypertension risk among veterans with SCD to non-significance (OR [95% CI]: 1.20 [0.95-1.51], p>0.05), while the additional inclusion of health behavior variables reduced hypertension risk among veterans without SCD to non-significance (OR [95% CI]: 1.12 [0.97-1.29], p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Veteran and SCD statuses may differentially influence mental health diagnoses and health behavior trajectories across the life course and thereby influence hypertension risk. Military service experiences, mental health service needs, and health behavior changes should all be considered in hypertension prevention and treatment.
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DeBlois et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=23,685). Veteran status with service-connected disability vs. Non-veterans was evaluated on Hypertension risk (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08-1.71, p=<0.001). Veteran status with service-connected disability was associated with greater odds of hypertension compared with non-veterans (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.08-1.71; p<0.001).
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