Prevention & lipidsResearch article
Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury
- Fine-Gray competing risks analyses
Authors' conclusion
We found that while CVD is less common in women, TBI is associated with a larger risk for subsequent CVD in women. Future work is needed to determine the etiology of this association to improve long-term care given the increase in female service members in combat.
Study context
- Population
- Post-9/11 service members and veterans, stratified by sex (Long-term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Phenotype study)cohort divided into men and women · men 1,277,430 · women 282,498
- Participants
- 1,277,430 vs 282,498
- Comparison
- association of traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity with subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), stratified by sex
- menn = 1,277,430
- womenn = 282,498
- Outcome
- CVD (composite of coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and CVD mortality)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
| Group | HR mild TBI | HR moderate/severe TBI | HR penetrating TBI |
|---|---|---|---|
| men | 1.62 (1.60-1.64) | 2.65 (2.62-2.69) | 4.22 (4.17-4.27) |
| women | 2.09 (2.02-2.16) | 3.45 (3.34-3.56) | 5.61 (5.44-5.78) |
Further findings
CVD prevalence
- CVD prevalence: P < 0.001
CVD prevalence
- Men had a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors
Original publication
Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury. JACC Adv. Published 18 March 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacadv.2026.102658
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it