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A new study suggests that men with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at a significantly higher risk of developing ischemic heart diseases (IHD), including heart attacks and other coronary events. The study, led by Noa Cohen-Heyman and Gabriel Chodick, Ph.D., from Tel Aviv University, is published in the March issue of International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention.
The researchers analyzed data from 14,768 patients diagnosed with IBD between January 1990 and July 2021. This cohort included individuals with ulcerative colitis (6,144) and Crohn’s disease (8,624), and the results were compared with 120,338 matched individuals without IBD. The study revealed that, over a mean follow-up period of 10.5 years, patients with IBD had nearly double the risk of experiencing ischemic heart diseases, myocardial infarction, or undergoing coronary interventions such as percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting.
Specifically, the risk was found to be elevated in male patients with IBD, with a hazard ratio of 1.82. However, the study also noted an inverse, or protective, relationship in female patients with IBD (HR 0.72), which warrants further investigation.
The research emphasizes that certain subgroups, including those with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and those taking steroids or immunosuppressants, experienced similar cardiovascular risks. This suggests that the systemic inflammation associated with IBD may contribute to increased heart disease risk, especially in men.
“Given these findings, high-risk individuals with IBD should be evaluated for early biomarkers of cardiovascular events, such as high-sensitive cardiac troponin,” Cohen-Heyman and Chodick recommend. “These patients could potentially benefit from preventive interventions like daily aspirin therapy.”
Disclaimer: This article is based on research findings, and the conclusions may evolve as further studies on the relationship between IBD and heart disease are conducted. Always consult a healthcare professional for personal medical advice and treatment options.
