A landmark study reveals trauma lingers in our biology long after the pain fades
Even when the mind heals, the body holds onto trauma.
A groundbreaking study on Oklahoma City bombing survivors found lasting physiological changes—altered immune responses, lower cortisol levels, and elevated blood pressure—decades later, despite participants reporting stable mental health.
Researchers compared 60 survivors to a control group, discovering higher inflammatory markers (IL-1β) and lower infection-fighting IL-2R, suggesting the body remains in a subtle state of alert
. “Your biological systems may never return to baseline,” explains co-author Dr. Rachel Zettl.
The findings challenge conventional recovery metrics, proving trauma isn’t just psychological—it rewires us physically.
The study was published in the journal Prehospital And Disaster Medicine.
