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Bowel Disease Increases Risk for Stroke and Heart Attack
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Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are at an increased risk of stroke and heart attack according to a new study presented by Mayo Clinic researchers. In an analysis of over 150,000 patients with IBD in nine studies, researchers estimated the risk of stroke and heart disease in patients with IBD, as compared to the general population. The results of the comparison pointed to a 10-25 percent increased risk of stoke and heart attacks in patients with IBD. The increased risk was especially more prominent in women.
“Gastroenterologists should be cognizant of this relationship and should focus on better management of conventional risk factors, such as smoking cessation, recognition and control of hypertension and diabetes,” says Siddharth Singh, M.B.B.S., a study author and Mayo Clinic researcher.
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Siddarth Singh are available in the downloads.
More than 1.5 million Americans have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Both conditions inflame the lining of the intestine, leading to bouts of watery diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps and pain, fever, and weight loss.
