Vietnam Veterans face a greater risk of Alzheimer's disease

Vietnam veterans and their families face growing concerns as more Vietnam War veterans are now part of the aging population of Americans, ages 65 and older.

"Vietnam veterans are approaching or already are in their prime years for Alzheimer's disease," said George Grossberg, MD, the Henry & Amelia Nasrallah Professor in the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

"One thing that we see quite often is post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD," said Grossberg. "Which we now think, and there's some evidence, may be a risk factor for the later development of Alzheimer’s disease."

As a geriatric psychiatrist, Grossberg treats patients, including Vietnam veterans, through the SLUCare Physician Group with SSM Health.

"Many of them had exposure in Vietnam to napalm and other toxic chemicals," he said. "Potentially being an additional risk factor for an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. It's a double whammy."



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