Living with Inflammatory bowel disease: Does IBD raise your risk of heart attack? What to eat, what to avoid

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may raise the risk of having a heart attack, a new study has said. According to the researchers who carried out the study, including one of Indian origin, young adults with inflammatory bowel disease are nearly 10 times at high risk of suffering a heart attack than their peers without the condition. IBD is an ongoing inflammation of all or part of the digestive tract and is behind two chronic inflammatory conditions, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The conditions have similar symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fever, loss of appetite and weight loss.

The study, which analysed the medical records of more than 17 million patients, showed that people with IBD are at 23 per cent higher risk of a heart attack, regardless of whether or not they have traditional risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking. Read: 8 warning signs you’re having a heart attack
“Younger patients had about nine times the risk of a heart attack compared to their peers in the same age group [who didn't have IBD], and this risk continued to decline with age,” said Muhammad S. Panhwar, a researcher at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, US. “Our findings suggest that IBD should be considered an independent risk factor for heart disease," Panhwar added.
While the heart attack risk was similar for both men and women with IBD over the age of 40, in patients under the age of 40, the risk for a heart attack was higher in women.
For the study, the team conducted an analysis of adult patients aged 18 to 65 with a diagnosis of IBD between 2014 and 2017. Among the more than 17.5 million patients in the database, 211,870 (1.2 percent) had IBD and overall, heart attacks occurred roughly twice as often in those with IBD.
People with IBD were also more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking - traditional risk factors for heart disease - than people without IBD.
“The results suggest clinicians should take seriously any symptoms suggestive of heart disease, such as chest pain, in patients with IBD, especially in younger patients,” Panhwar said.
Details of these findings will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session 2018 in Orlando later this month.

Nutrition tips for inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease is a long-term disease that inflames the gut or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There is no known cause or cure for IBD yet. And while there is no specific diet for a person with IBD, some people with the condition manage their symptoms with dietary changes and a low-residue or low-fiber diet. In general, most people with IBD are recommended to eat a well-balanced diet with a lot of variety. However, it is recommended that you work with your doctor or dietitian to create a customised diet based on which disease you have - Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.

Foods to eat with IBD
For instance, a low-residue diet can help relieve flare-ups. This includes foods that are soft and bland, such as oatmeal, plain cereals, bananas, rice, lean poultry or fish (plain), canned fruit, etc. Since people with IBD often find it hard to get their daily nutritional needs because of their condition, it may require them to take vitamins and other supplements to meet the necessary nutrients the body needs.

Foods to avoid with IBD
Certain foods or products may trigger symptoms in some people with IBD, such as Crohn's ulcerative colitis. Alcohol, dairy products, fatty and foods, spicy foods, beans, and creamy sauces, etc, are some of the foods to avoid when living with IBD.
Note: While the suggested diet tips may be helpful, we ask you to always consult your doctor, nutritionist, or other healthcare professional about your specific dietary requirements if you have inflammatory bowel disease.