Stress, excess weight, cholesterol, tobacco harm the health of the heart and blood vessels, but they are not the only ones. As Australian researchers pointed out on August 16 “Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, only explain a portion of major cardiac accidents”. Others could come from the belly according to their observations.
These scientists from Monash University analyzed research data from the UK Biobank (an English public health database) of more than 400,000 people around the world, identifying more than 23,000 cases of constipation. They compared the data of people suffering from constipation with those with normal bowel habits. Several factors were taken into account: high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, medication use and obesity.
According to the results published in the journal “American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology”, people suffering from constipation were twice as likely to suffer a serious cardiac event such as a heart attack, a stroke or even heart failure. “With constipation affecting approximately 14% of the global population, particularly older adults and women, these findings suggest that a significant proportion may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to poor gut health.”said Professor Francine Marques, lead author of the study, in a statement. In France, 15 to 20% of adults are affected by chronic constipation.
While this discovery requires further study to identify the biological mechanisms involved, the researchers believe that constipated people may suffer from “leaky gut” that causes greater permeability of the intestines and promotes the entry of toxins and bacteria into the bloodstream. They also established a link between constipation and hypertension. Thus, people who were constipated and hypertensive had a 34% increased risk of cardiac events compared to those suffering from hypertension alone. “Our research suggests that constipation may exacerbate the cardiovascular risks associated with high blood pressure, further increasing the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes.” added Professor Marques.
According to the researchers, constipation should in the future be considered a relevant risk factor affecting heart health, just like smoking, obesity or stress. To combat constipation, you should drink enough water every day, exercise and favour foods rich in fibre such as fruit (especially those from the plum family) and vegetables (mainly green). They should be present at every meal, in greater quantities than starchy foods.
