A New Battle: Veterans More Likely to Have Heart Disease, UCF Study Finds

By: Robert H. Wells on

After the war is over, veterans face a new threat. They are more likely to have heart disease at a younger age than nonveterans, and this could herald a new health crisis on the horizon.

These results are published in a new University of Central Florida study appearing in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

“I think it’s sort of the first indications of a coming public health crisis for veterans,” says Ramon Hinojosa, an assistant professor in UCF’s Department of Sociology and the study’s author. “Because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have a relatively large, new, younger generation of veterans who are going to survive for 30 or 40 years after their war experience.”

The study indicates that perhaps the “healthy-soldier effect” is no longer guaranteed. The effect refers to the tendency for active-duty service members to be more physically fit and less overweight than same-age, nonmilitary individuals. It’s a phenomenon that Hinojosa explores in ongoing research.

“The outcome of the analysis suggested that not only does the healthy-soldier effect not seem as potent as it once was, in fact, what I see is veterans tend to have cardiovascular morbidity earlier than nonveterans, and they tend to have a greater number of conditions,” Hinojosa says.

The researcher says the change could be due to the nature of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, modern warfare, changing diets, changing approaches to leisure and exercise, higher rates of obesity in younger veterans than nonveterans at the same age, and higher rates of drinking, smoking and mental illness.

In light of these results, Hinojosa says it is important for health practitioners to look closely at cardiovascular health for younger veterans so they can address preventative approaches to ward off early onset of cardiovascular diseases.

“I think that being aware we sort of have the first rumblings of what seems to be a health crisis will help us focus our attention on health resources and providing younger veterans with access to resources that can help them ameliorate the likelihood of early onset cardiovascular disease,” Hinojosa says.

The study used data from the National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative health survey of individuals in the United States that’s conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Hinojosa looked at five particular cardiovascular conditions reported in the survey and their association with veteran status and sociodemographic status, including age.

Responses from 153,556 individuals were used, and the study looked at pooled survey data from 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, the most recent available data at the time.

From age 35 to about age 70, veterans reported significantly more cardiovascular conditions than nonveterans. After age 70, nonveterans reported more cardiovascular conditions than veterans.

The switch could be due to fewer veterans surviving into older age because of cardiovascular diseases, Hinojosa says.

“It’s concerning to know that the physical benefits of military service seem to be not holding as well for the younger veterans,” Hinojosa says. “This suggests the health protective benefits of military service are not what they used to be. I think that should cause us to really look at what’s going on among the veterans after they leave military service.”

Hinojosa received his doctorate in sociology from the University of Florida, his master’s in sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his bachelor’s in sociology from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. He joined UCF in 2014.

Share This Article

Featured Content image

UCF Rosen College Ranks No. 1 in the World for Hospitality Education for 2025 

One of the most anticipated theme parks in the world is about to open its gates — and right next door, the No. 1 hospitality and hotel management school on...

Read More

Featured Content image

UCF Women’s Club Enhances Graduate Excellence through Scholarships

Financial support plays a crucial role in the academic success of many students, with scholarships serving as a key resource that enables many to access higher education. Scholarships provide vital...

Read More

Featured Content image

UCF Honors Outstanding Graduate Students for 2025

Each year, the University of Central Florida recognizes exceptional graduate students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership, research, creative scholarship, and service. These outstanding individuals are honored through UCF’s...

Read More

Featured Content image

Founders’ Day 2025: Celebrating Student, Faculty and Staff Knights

Every year on the first Wednesday of April, UCF honors the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of our people on Founders’ Day, our annual celebration of the employees, faculty, and students...

Read More