GHRL and post-traumatic stress disorder: Chronic stress, the occurrence of trauma and its adverse consequences over a prolonged period, is associated with the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even when many years have elapsed since the initial stress exposure.1 Acyl-ghrelin levels increase in rodents and humans during chronic stress exposure.2,3 Elevated acyl-ghrelin remains long after the primary stressful event ceases (months in rodents, years in humans).