Study Examines Effects of Stress

Army researchers are studying the effects of physical and psychological stress on soldiers’ immune systems. The study, conducted by the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine at Natick, Mass., is focusing particularly upon lack of sleep and its influence upon how quickly wounds can heal. “Immune responsiveness is suppressed in warfighters exposed to physical and psychological stress,” said Tracy Smith, a dietician involved in the study. Smith said that evidence so far has shown that soldiers who ate fortified energy bars showed moderate signs of quicker healing. The researchers also are examining how lack of sleep affects healing of wounds and marksmanship.