People with IBD need to safeguard their heart health
If you suffer from an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, you may be at increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke. In this Ask the Experts video, Kevin Soden, MD, explains why.
Transcript
Experts believe that the same inflammation that causes intestinal woes may also wreak havoc on your ticker.
But there's good news too. When symptoms are in remission, IBD patients' heart attack risk
drops to normal. [MUSIC PLAYING]
Dr. Soden here with an important tip-- if you or a loved one suffer from inflammatory bowel disease,
such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, take extra good care of your heart. That's because people with IBD have up to a 25% higher
risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to a study that analyzed data from 150,000 IBD sufferers.
And that's especially true for women with IBD. Another study suggests that it's especially important to control IBD symptoms because heart failure risk is higher
when patients have flareups. Experts believe that the same inflammation that causes intestinal woes may also
wreak havoc on your ticker. But there's good news too. When symptoms are in remission, IBD patients' heart attack risk
drops to normal. So in addition to following your treatment plan to manage inflammatory bowel disease,
ask your doctor if you should take extra steps to protect your heart. Many of the things you do to manage IBD,
including not smoking, following a smart diet, and staying on top of stress, also help keep your heart in shape.
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