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Research from Monash University in Australia has revealed that a seemingly mundane issue like constipation is an underestimated risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, affecting about 14 percent of the global population. Previous studies have shown that a person’s bowel movement schedule is closely linked to their overall health.
Recently, Australian researchers analyzed health data from over 400,000 individuals in the UK Biobank. They found that people with constipation are two to three times more likely to suffer from serious heart conditions compared to those who do not experience this disorder (or do so infrequently).
Moreover, high blood pressure in those who struggle with constipation seems to exacerbate the risk. Among study participants who had both hypertension and constipation, the likelihood of having a heart attack was found to be 34 percent higher.
“Traditional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, obesity, and smoking, have long been recognized as primary causes of heart disease. However, these factors do not fully explain the occurrence of serious cardiac events,” noted Professor Francine Marques, the lead author of the study.
As a result, she and her colleagues turned their attention to exploring the potential role of constipation as an additional risk factor, ultimately yielding quite alarming findings, as reported by Science Alert.
Leticia Camargo Tavares, a computational biologist and genomic medicine specialist and co-author of the study, stated that the team discovered significant genetic correlations between constipation and various forms of adverse cardiovascular events.
Future Research Ahead
In recent years, gut health has become a key aspect of personalized medicine, closely linked to heart and brain health.
Researchers at Monash University are calling for further studies to help understand how chronic constipation may impact the cardiovascular system in the long term.
“These results suggest that a significant portion of the population may be at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases due to gut health issues,” summarized Professor Marques.
The findings of the study were published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
The Fatal Problem of Elvis
Perhaps the most famous example of the potentially dangerous consequences of chronic constipation is Elvis Presley. The singer, who suffered from this condition, died in 1977 at the age of 42 from a heart attack.
While Elvis’s death remains shrouded in mystery, and drug abuse likely played a detrimental role in his passing, it’s important to remember that he was plagued by persistent constipation, likely caused by poor diet and painkiller use.
Some experts, including the King of Rock and Roll’s personal physician, suggested that Elvis’s battle with constipation led to dangerously elevated blood pressure and heart rates.
The correlation between constipation and heart ailments suggests a genetic component, according to medical professionals. Elvis’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died at the age of 54 from cardiac arrest, caused by a blockage in her small intestine, meaning a partial or complete obstruction of its lower section.
