Health News : Constipation increases the risk of heart attack, study says. If you Google the words constipation and heart attack, it won't take long for Elvis Presley's name to pop up. Elvis suffered from chronic constipation for a long time and it is believed he strained too much to have a bowel movement, leading to a fatal heart attack. We don't know exactly what happened to the so-called King of Rock 'n' Roll in 1977. There were probably many contributing factors to his death, and this theory is just one of many. But after this famous case, researchers took a keen interest in the link between constipation and heart attack risk. This includes a recent study led by Australian researchers that looked at data from thousands of people. 

Are constipation and heart attack linked? 

Large population studies suggest that constipation is associated with an increased risk of heart attack. For example, an Australian study included more than 540,000 people over 60 who were hospitalised for various conditions. It found that patients with constipation had a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke than non-constipated patients of the same age. A Danish study of more than 900,000 people from hospitals and hospital outpatient clinics also found that people who were constipated had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. However, it was unclear whether this link between constipation and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke would hold true for healthy people outside of the hospital. These Australian and Danish studies also did not consider the effects of medicines used to treat high blood pressure, which can constipate you. 

New study revealed 

A recent international study led by researchers at Monash University found a link between constipation and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure in the general population. Researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank, a database of health information from nearly half a million people in the United Kingdom. Researchers identified more than 23,000 cases of constipation and accounted for the effect of medications to treat high blood pressure, which can cause constipation. People with constipation were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or heart failure than people without constipation. Researchers found a strong link between high blood pressure and constipation. People with high blood pressure who also had constipation had a 34% higher risk of a major cardiovascular event than those with only high blood pressure. The study only looked at data from people of European descent. However, there is good reason to believe that the link between constipation and heart attack applies to other populations. 

What does the Japanese study say?

A Japanese study included more than 45,000 men and women in the general population. It found that people who had a bowel movement once every two to three days had a higher risk of dying from heart disease than those who had a bowel movement less than once a day. 

How can constipation cause heart attack? 

Chronic constipation may lead to straining while passing stools. This can result in shortness of breath and a rise in blood pressure. In a Japanese study of ten elderly people, blood pressure was high just before passing stools and continued to rise during the bowel movement. This rise in blood pressure lasted for up to an hour afterward. This pattern was not seen in younger Japanese people. One theory is that older people have stiffer blood vessels due to atherosclerosis and other age-related changes. Therefore their high blood pressure may persist for some time after straining. But younger people's blood pressure returns to normal quickly because their blood vessels are more flexible. As blood pressure rises, the risk of heart disease increases. The risk of developing heart disease doubles when systolic blood pressure permanently rises by 20 mmHg. The increase in systolic blood pressure with straining to pass stools has been reported to be as high as 70 mmHg. This increase is only temporary but chronic constipation may increase the risk of heart attack due to constant straining. 

People suffering from chronic constipation should be careful

Some people with chronic constipation may have impaired functioning of the vagus nerve, which controls various bodily functions including digestion, heart rate and breathing. Another interesting line of study examined imbalances in gut bacteria in people with constipation. This imbalance, known as dysbiosis, can result in germs and other substances leaking through the gut barrier into the bloodstream and triggering an immune response. This can lead to inflammation in the blood circulation and hardening of the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack. This latest study also explored the genetic relationship between constipation and heart disease. Researchers found shared genetic factors that cause both constipation and heart disease. 

What can we do to protect ourselves? 

Constipation affects approximately 19% of the global population aged 60 years and older. Therefore a large portion of the population is at increased risk for heart disease due to their bowel health. Managing chronic constipation by changing diet, increasing physical activity, drinking enough water and using medications if necessary are all important ways to improve intestinal function and help reduce the risk of heart disease.