Constipation and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk in Patients With Hypertension: A Long-Term Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Gastroenterology
• Public Health

Background:

• Constipation's role as a mortality risk factor in hypertensive patients is unclear.
• Hypertension is a major global health concern with significant mortality implications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between constipation and mortality prognosis in hypertensive individuals.
• To determine if constipation independently predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010.
• Employed Cox regression analyses to assess mortality risk associated with self-reported constipation.
• Adjusted for demographic factors including age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

Main Results:

• Hypertensive patients with constipation showed a trend towards increased all-cause mortality (HR 1.40) and significantly higher cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.83).
• Kaplan-Meier curves indicated elevated all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates in the constipation group.
• Subgroup analysis revealed significantly higher mortality risks for hypertensive patients with constipation and a Poverty-to-Income Ratio (PIR) ≤ 100.

Conclusions:

• Constipation is significantly associated with increased cardiovascular mortality risk in hypertensive patients.
• Findings suggest constipation may be an underrecognized risk factor for adverse outcomes in hypertension management.