Kibler JL, et al. - Researchers investigated if the number and relative levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among young, trauma-exposed women are correlated with the severity of posttraumatic stress symptom. Premenopausal women ages 19-49 with various levels of posttraumatic stress and no history of chronic medical illness were recruited from mental health clinics and the general community for this study. Lower high-density lipoprotein levels, higher triglycerides, greater systolic blood pressure, greater diastolic blood pressure, greater body mass index, and a greater number of total CVD risk factors were all correlated with posttraumatic stress severity. Findings thereby support that, among young women, posttraumatic stress symptom severity is associated with several CVD risk factors early in life in the absence of medical illness.