Constipation can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable, but a new study suggests it may also be linked to a more serious and unexpected health outcome: major heart events.

The research specifically found a link between people who have constipation and a higher risk of severe cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and blowsespecially if they also have high blood pressure.

“Traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressureobesity and smoking have long been recognized as key factors in heart disease. However, these factors alone do not fully explain the occurrence of major cardiac events,” study author and head of the Hypertension Research Group at Monash University, Francine Marques, Ph.Dhe said Health. “The gut microbiome is now a well-known risk factor for heart disease, and constipation influences it.”

While this isn’t the first study to suggest a link between constipation and cardiovascular events, experts said more research is needed to understand the relationship between the two. In the meantime, here’s what scientists know and whether you should worry if you’re frequently constipated.

In recent years, evidence has shown a link between the intestinal microbiome and heart health, prompting scientists to examine how constipation might influence it.

In 2023, a study found “suggestive causal associations” between constipation and atrial fibrillation, which is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia. However, he did not see a link between constipation and heart failure, stroke or coronary heart disease. Another 2023 study found the opposite—that for hospitalized patients over age 60 with constipation and high blood pressure, the risk for all cardiovascular events was higher.

In this context, the researchers set out to further investigate the interaction between constipation and heart disease. For the latest study—published in American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology-scientists analyzed data from more than 400,000 people aged 40 to 69 compiled in UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource.

They reviewed medical records, surgical histories, and death registry data to find any association between constipation and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), such as heart failure, ischemic stroke, or acute coronary syndrome. Constipation was defined as habitual laxative use or noted in hospital medical records or questionnaires for irritable bowel syndrome.

After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, use of medications that can cause constipation, smoking status, and health conditions such as high cholesterol and diabetes, the team found that those with constipation had a two- to three-fold increased risk of had a major adverse cardiac event. compared to people with normal bowel habits. The study also showed that constipation in patients with high blood pressure increased the risk of a cardiac event by about 1.7 times.

“We identified constipation as a potential risk factor independently associated with a higher prevalence of MACE,” the authors wrote.

Constipation shared between 21% and 27% of genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which the authors said could explain the link between the two. For example, genes could be to blame for “disruptions” in the autonomic nervous system, which regulates both cardiovascular and gastrointestinal functions.

In another study, researchers theorized that straining during bowel movements could cause an increase in blood pressure, which over time could trigger cardiovascular events.

If you’re constipated, experts say there’s no need to jump to conclusions about your heart health. While new research suggests a possible association between constipation and heart problems, no studies have determined that one causes the other.

“There is absolutely no causality,” he said Timothy Ritter, MDgastroenterologist and chief medical officer at GI Alliance Research, regarding the latest study. “People who suffer from constipation may have any number of other problems that put them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.”

The study has several other limitations, including the fact that it only included participants of white European descent, meaning the findings may not be broadly applicable. Some of the data was also self-reported – and therefore may be inaccurate. And Ritter said Health that “constipation” was not well defined: did people use a “laxative every day, or just once a month, during menstruation?”

The intermittent nature of constipation also makes it difficult to assess any relationship it might have with heart health, he said. Mary Branch, MDa cardiologist in Greensboro, North Carolina. “So if you’re trying to find a link to an outcome with something that’s so transient and not a definitive disease state,” she said. Health“it gets a little messy to come to a conclusion.”

Because research is ongoing, Branch said, “it’s hard to know whether trying to regulate (constipation) would help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

However, there is a clear link between the gut microbiome and cardiovascular disease due to its role in managing it inflammationBranch said. “Fiber it improves bowel function, helping us avoid constipation, and it also improves blood pressure, minimizing the risk of heart disease,” Marques said. “We recommend that regardless of the presence of constipation, people should increase their dietary fiber intake, as most people are deficient in fiber.”

Branch also suggested prioritizing overall heart health by following the American Heart Association’s guidelines. That means getting regular physical activity, eating a diet full of whole foods, prioritizing sleep, controlling cholesterol, and not smoking.

“People want to find something new and sexy — a quick fix — but it just doesn’t exist,” Branch said. “It’s really just about good, consistent habits.”