Nearly Half of Veterans With Blast Concussions Might Have Hormone Deficiencies

Released April 22, 2013 - Up to 20 percent of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have experienced at least one blast concussion. A new study finds about 42% of screened veterans with blast injuries have irregular hormone levels indicative of hypopituitarism, the decreased (hypo) secretion of one or more of the eight hormones normally produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. Many conditions associated with hypopituitarism mimic other common problems that veterans can suffer, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.