The New Connection Between Ibd And Heart Failure
If youre one of the estimated 1.4 million Americans with inflammatory bowel disease, take note of your symptoms: According to new research, your risk of heart failure goes up precipitously during an IBD flare-up.
IBD, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease, involves the chronic inflammation of part or all of the digestive tract. Symptoms range from cramping and fatigue to abdominal pain, diarrhea, ulcers, and malnutrition. In this Danish study of more than 5 million adults, presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2014, researchers analyzed data and followed up with more than 23,000 IBD patients. They found that overall, patients with IBD have a 37% increased risk of heart failure hospitalization compared to the healthy population. But when theres a flare-upor an active period of symptomsthe risk increases 2.5 times.
Experts dont quite understand what causes IBD flare-ups, which vary greatly in frequency and severity among patients, and theyre also unsure why heart risk goes up in step with them. In general, the connection between IBD and cardiovascular health is understood to be inflammation, says lead author Soeren Lund Kristensen, a research fellow at Gentofte University Hospital in Copenhagen. “We know inflammation may lead to an increased risk of thrombosis , and some studies show inflammation in the circulation may also lead to vascular damage. IBD also puts you at risk for anemia, which may contribute to the development of
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Can You Take Antacids With Ulcerative Colitis
Yes, you can take antacids if you develop heartburn with ulcerative colitis. But you should understand that antacids wont help your ulcerative colitis they will only relieve your heartburn.
These days, doctors prefer PPIs over antacids in the treatment of heartburn. This is why its a good idea to seek medical treatment for heartburn instead of relying on over-the-counter antacids.
If you still want to take antacids, ask your doctor first about any potential drug interaction between antacids and your ulcerative colitis medications.
Finally, lifestyle changes are another major arm of heartburn treatment. Here are some changes your doctor might recommend you:
- Eating smaller meals
- Avoiding eating close to bedtime
- Avoiding foods/beverages that trigger heartburn these include chocolate, spicy food, and coffee
- Elevating the head of your bed while sleeping
- Avoiding medications that trigger symptoms
If medical treatment and lifestyle changes fail to improve your heartburn, you can opt for a surgical procedure called fundoplication, which is where the surgeon wraps the upper portion of your stomach around the esophagus to prevent acid reflux.
Ulcerative Colitis Risk Factors
Most people with UC dont have a family history of the condition. However, about 12 percent of people with UC do have a family member with IBD, according to research from 2014.
UC can develop in a person of any race, but its more common in white people. If youre of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, you have a greater chance of developing the condition than most other groups.
Young people with IBD may also be dealing with acne at the same time. Some older studies have suggested a possible link between the use of the cystic acne medication isotretinoin and UC. However, newer research has yet to find a definitive causal relationship.
Theres no solid evidence indicating that your diet affects whether you develop UC. You may find that certain foods and drinks aggravate your symptoms when you have a flare-up, though.
Practices that may help include:
- drinking small amounts of water throughout the day
- eating smaller meals throughout the day
- limiting your intake of high fiber foods
- avoiding fatty foods
- lowering your intake of milk if youre lactose intolerant
Also, ask a doctor if you should take a multivitamin.
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Years Before My Diagnosis
Ive suffered from what were thought to be recurrent bladder infections since my late teens, often needing several courses of antibiotics in a space of a month. I was both working and attending college at the same time, and was very conscious of being unreliable, so my flares were both a worry and an inconvenience.
If an infection flared while I was actually at work, Id go and get antibiotics, drink as much water as I could, lie down in the tearoom for a while and then return a few hours later when I started to get some relief.
I adapted, wearing loose clothing, drinking a lot of water and making sure I had always had a bottle of Potassium Citrate solution to hand. These things all helped, but nothing stopped the seemingly regular flares.
At one point, my GP referred me to the local hospital to have scans on my bladder to check that it was emptying properly, but when those scans showed nothing abnormal, I carried on the same as before. The infections just became part of my normal way of life.
Does Drinking Water Help Uc
Its important to drink water when you have UC. Having enough fluids will replenish what you lose through diarrhea.
Water alone may not be enough. Your body also loses electrolytes like salt, potassium, and magnesium when you have diarrhea.
Drinking water plus electrolytes can help you stay hydrated. You can find that combination in the form of an oral rehydration solution at your local pharmacy. Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade also contain electrolytes and fluid.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Ulcerative Colitis
People with UC may have some or all of these symptoms:
- Abdominal pain: The pain may be in the lower left part of the abdomen or more generalized around the abdomen. This pain may be persistent, severe, and could possibly wake your child from sleep.
- Diarrhea: Passage of watery stool or frequent stool that is different from your childs normal pattern. It could be mild to severe and may frequently wake your child from sleep.
- Tenesmus: This is the sensation of fullness in the rectum, which may lead a person to feel that they still need to use the toilet even after they have passed a bowel movement.
- Blood in the stool
- Skin changes, which may look like sores, bruises, or large hives on the shins
- Constipation: Although not typical, some people with UC have constipation, although this is usually in combination with other symptoms.
Other symptoms, referred to as extra-intestinal manifestations, occur outside the digestive tract. These are detailed in the complications section below.
Your primary care physician will perform an initial evaluation if you are concerned that your child has UC. Ask your doctor for referral to a pediatric gastroenterologist if your child has blood in the stool, persistent diarrhea, persistent abdominal pain, weight loss, or slow growth.
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Heart Disease And Ibd: Understanding The Connection
In the United States, heart disease is the most prevalent public health issue. People with inflammatory bowel disease are at higher risk than the general population. Researchers found that having IBD doubles the likelihood of a heart attack, and people with IBD between the ages of 18 to 24 are nine times more likely to have a heart attack than their peers without IBD.
Research has found that people with IBD are also more likely to have traditional risk factors for heart disease such as hypertension , diabetes, atherosclerosis , and high cholesterol levels. But why? Although more research is needed, chronic inflammation related to IBD appears to be the underlying driver of the increased risk of heart diseases such as atrial fibrillation , stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.
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Health Conditions That Alter Heart Rhythms
Other conditions that can cause heart palpitations include:
- Hormone changes due to menstruation or menopause
- Thyroid problems
- Abnormally high or low levels of certain minerals, such as potassium
- Low blood sugar levels
Some MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam members have posted about having palpitations linked to these causes. If you experience ongoing palpitations, talk to your doctor and mention any other symptoms you might be experiencing. Discuss any supplements you are thinking about taking with your regular doctor or gastroenterologist . Some vitamins and supplements can actually lead to changes in your heart rhythm.
Ibd And Other Heart Problems
If you have IBD, you may be at risk for other heart problems. One study showed that people with IBD may have up to double the risk of the general population of experiencing a myocardial infarction . The study described an increased risk of these cardiovascular events for people 18 to 24 years old and women under 40. Other research has shown Crohns and colitis can elevate your chances of developing different types of cardiovascular disease .
Along with regular physical exams, your health care provider may decide to order tests to help measure the health of your heart and blood vessels. You should be aware of the signs of a heart attack and seek immediate medical care if you notice any symptoms.Some signs of a heart attack include:
- Pain in your back, neck, or jaw
- Growing pressure in the middle or left side of your chest
- Discomfort in your arms or shoulders
- Shortness of breath
Learn more about the link between IBD and heart disease, and how to reduce your risk of heart problems, here.
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Abbvie Highlights Robust Gastroenterology Portfolio With New Data In Crohn’s Disease And Ulcerative Colitis At The Ueg Week 2022
- Final analyses from the U-ACHIEVE Phase 3 maintenance study of RINVOQ® in moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis
- Data highlighting symptomatic and endoscopic outcomes, delayed subcutaneous responders and predictors of response in patients receiving risankizumab for use in moderate to severe Crohn’s disease*
- Data from the Phase 3 study U-EXCEL evaluating the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib as induction therapy for use in adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease*
- A total of 17 abstracts, including seven oral presentations, reinforce AbbVie’s commitment to research into developments that could help advance standards of care for patients living with inflammatory bowel disease
NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — AbbVie today revealed the spectrum of new data from studies of risankizumab in Crohn’s disease and upadacitinib in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease that will be presented as live presentations and e-Posters at the United European Gastroenterology Week 2022, October 8-11 in Vienna and online. In total, AbbVie is presenting 17 abstracts across a broad range of studies in inflammatory bowel disease .
Key data to be presented include:
* The use of upadacitinib and risankizumab are investigational in Crohn’s disease in the European Union.
AbbVie abstracts in the UEG Week 2022 program include:
The full scientific program for the UEG Week 2022 is available here.
About Ulcerative Colitis
About Crohn’s Disease
About RINVOQ®
When To Contact A Doctor
People need to discuss any blood in the stools with their doctor, even if they have experienced it before.
A person may also wish to monitor their UC symptoms, so they know what is usual for them to experience. People can then discuss any abnormal symptoms with a healthcare professional.
If individuals have ongoing diarrhea that lasts for a couple of weeks, they can contact their doctor to discuss concerns and treatment.
The Crohnâs and Colitis Foundation advises people to seek emergency medical attention if they experience any of the following:
- inability to keep down liquids due to nausea, vomiting, or pain
- rectal bleeding with blood clots in stools
- continuous pain
Managing UC with treatment may help reduce bleeding. There are medications that may reduce inflammation in the rectum and large intestines, which may, in turn, reduce bleeding.
Anti-inflammatory medications for UC can include:
- 5-Aminosalicylic acid: Medication that may help reduce acute inflammation and causes inflammation to become inactive over time.
- Corticosteroids: A short-term treatment to help reduce inflammation.
- Immunosuppressants: These medications can help suppress the immune response that can cause inflammation. However, they may take up to 6 months to be effective.
- Biologics: For treatment of moderate to severe UC, biologics help block molecules that trigger inflammation.
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What Should I Ask My Doctor On Behalf Of My Child Or Teenager
Ask your healthcare provider the following questions in addition to the ones listed above:
- What vitamins should my child take?
- Will my other children have pediatric ulcerative colitis?
- Is my child at risk for other conditions?
- Can you recommend a psychiatrist or therapist to help my child with emotional issues related to pediatric ulcerative colitis?
- Is my child growing at a normal rate?
- What can I do to help my child cope at school?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
When you have ulcerative colitis, its essential to work closely with your healthcare team.
Take your medications as prescribed, even when you dont have symptoms. Skipping medications youre supposed to take can lead to flareups and make the disease harder to control. Your best shot at managing ulcerative colitis is to follow your treatment plan and talk to your healthcare provider regularly.
Colitis And Crohns Disease And Constipation
Constipation can sometimes occur in those with Colitis and Crohns Disease.
Generally, increasing fibre intake is a good self-help method to relieve the symptoms of constipation, however this is not always the case for people with Colitis and Crohns Disease. For some, fibre could be the cause of constipation and can even make the symptoms worse. Moderating or even reducing fibre intake until symptoms improve or disappear could help. For others dairy foods could be the problem, everyone is different so its always best to find out what triggers it for you.
Keeping a bowel diary is an effective way to see which foods and beverages set off your symptoms. If you keep the diary for a couple of weeks you will get a good idea of which foods and drinks youll need to avoid and then you can start to use this information when planning your meals.
If your symptoms persist, its always best to speak to your GP for advise as they should be able to recommend other methods which you can use to help ease your symptoms.
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Growth And Development Problems For Children
You can get ulcerative colitis at any age, but its more common among 15- to 30-year-olds. A child with UC may:
- Red or discolored
Continued
Talk to your doctor right away if youre worried that you might have DVT. Its possible for a deep-vein blood clot to break loose and get stuck in a lung artery. If that happens, its an emergency called a pulmonary embolism . You could have symptoms like shortness of breath, sharp chest pain, and a cough with or without blood. Call 911 if you have these signs.
Doctors can treat DVT and pulmonary embolisms with medications, a filter through a vein that removes the clot, or surgery.
You could be more likely to get DVT or PE if you:
- Have ulcerative colitis that flares often or affects a large amount of your colon.
- Get surgery for severe ulcerative colitis.
Some studies also link certain ulcerative colitis meds, like steroids or tofacitinib, to DVT and PE.
Skin Joint Or Eye Problems
When you have UC, the lining of your large intestine gets inflamed and sets off your symptoms. For some people, this inflammation also shows up in other body parts during a flare. Experts arent sure why.
You could have symptoms like:
Let your doctor know whenever you get new UC symptoms. That way, they can change your treatment plan if needed.
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T Cell Isolation And Stimulation
Peripheral venous blood was obtained from healthy volunteers in compliance with the AIIMS Institutional ethics committee protocols. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated by Ficoll-Paque plus gradient centrifugation. The PBMCs were stained with CD4- Allophycocyanin , CD25-phycoerythrin-Cy7 and CD45 RA- Phycoerithrin . Naive T cells were sorted by high speed flow cytometry with FACS AriaIII to > 95% post sort purity. Cells were cultured at 105 cells/well in a 96 well U bottom plate for 6 days in serum free X vivo medium and stimulated with plate bound anti CD3 and soluble anti CD28 . In Th polarization assay, at the start of the culture, cells were differentiated with recombinant IL-2 for Th0, TGF1 , IL-1 , IL-6, IL-21 and IL-23 for Th17 in the presence and absence of potassium chloride.
Is Heartburn A Sign Of Crohns Disease
Yes, one possible cause of heartburn is Crohns disease, which is closely related to ulcerative colitis.
If your heartburn is associated with the following symptoms, you may have Crohns disease:
- Long-term, non-bloody diarrhea
- Abdominal pain, particularly in the right lower area of your belly
- Fat malabsorption if your diarrhea is greasy, smelly, and difficult to flush, you have fat malabsorption
- Skin rashes, eye inflammation, and painful joints
Because the symptoms of Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis are similar, youll need to work with a gastroenterologist to figure out your condition.
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Symptoms Of Ulcerative Colitis
The symptoms of ulcerative colitis occur in flare-ups. Sometimes, a flare-up is sudden and severe, causing violent diarrhea that typically contains mucus and blood, high fever, abdominal pain, and occasionally peritonitis Peritonitis Abdominal pain is common and often minor. Severe abdominal pain that comes on quickly, however, almost always indicates a significant problem. The pain may be the only sign of the need for surgery… read more . During such flare-ups, the person is profoundly ill. More often, a flare-up begins gradually, and the person has an urgency to have a bowel movement , mild cramps in the lower abdomen, and visible blood and mucus in the stool. A flare-up can last days or weeks and can recur at any time.
When the disease is limited to the rectum and the sigmoid colon, the stool may be normal or hard and dry. However, mucus containing large numbers of red and white blood cells is discharged from the rectum during or between bowel movements. People may or may not have mild general symptoms of illness, such as fever.