4 Quotes by Melvin Blanchard

We're still not sure whether CMI is due to a single disease or pathological process. But this study has identified an intriguing association between CMI risk and diagnosis of depression and anxiety disorders prior to military service.

History of psychiatric conditions prior to service appears to place veterans at a significantly increased risk of CMI. This should not be taken as an indication that CMI is all in the veteran's head: the condition has physical manifestations that are very real, including objectively defined conditions such as metabolic syndrome.

Physicians need to be aware of the potential manifestations of CMI and the need to treat them, and metabolic syndrome is a key example. There's quite a bit of literature on this condition, and there are steps physicians can encourage their patients to take such as increased exercise, stress management and dieting to reduce abdominal fat that can lessen its effects.

The military is trying to take better care of the soldiers' mental health in the field and that may have some bearing on the outcome, but I still expect to see CMI in those soldiers who are in Iraq now when they return.