9/11 PTSD study linked to aging shows need to reevaluate health program

The first responders who spent months digging through the rubble in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks suffered from more than the toxic dust they breathed.

A new study from the Stony Brook World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program provides concerning evidence that the post-traumatic stress disorder so many have experienced in the wake of the attacks and the cleanup has led to accelerated aging and horrific physical ailments, including increased risk of disease, decreases in pancreatic function and significant upticks in chronic illness. The study, which comes after an analysis of first responders’ blood samples that were collected 18 years after the attacks, “provides insight into the long-term biological embedding of traumatic stress,” researchers said.

The director of Stony Brook’s 9/11 program, Dr. Benjamin Luft, said the lungs and pancreas of patients who responded to the attacks or worked at Ground Zero are “aging significantly greater.”

In other words, beyond the effects of breathing the deadly dust, the psychological impact is taking an immense physical toll. Our heroes from that awful period are aging faster, getting sick and dying.

That frightening conclusion helps explain the extensive ramifications the attacks and their aftermath have had on those who lived and worked in the area around the World Trade Center. It also illustrates the need to spotlight mental health and the aging process in caring for all of the first responders and others who are now suffering.

The Stony Brook analysis highlights the need for further research — and the continued reevaluation of coverage and standards used by both the World Trade Center Health Program and the Victim Compensation Fund. It underscores the importance of the ongoing assessment, monitoring and treatment of those afflicted with 9/11-related illnesses.

The new findings come as New York City officials promised to release a trove of documents related to the 9/11 attacks, and to issue a report regarding who knew what — and when — regarding the toxicity of the air after Sept. 11. That report and the records release must be specific and pointed, to answer key questions, rather than dumping extensive files with no new information. Our first responders deserve answers.

Also critical: Assuring the health program’s future by adding staff and maintaining its leadership. There are continued concerns about dozens of jobs in the program that apparently remain unfilled. While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised a staffing ramp-up earlier this year, it’s unclear whether any hires were made. What’s more, the program’s future leadership remains a question, as current administrator John Howard’s term is set to expire later this year.

Kennedy must answer those questions, fully staff the program and provide the capacity and opportunities to continue research like Stony Brook’s. As our first responders age and fall ill, they must have the resources and support to get the care and attention they deserve.