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If You Suffer from Constipation You Have Higher Chances of Getting Kidney Disease

If You Suffer from Constipation You Have Higher Chances of Getting Kidney Disease

by Sheela Philomena on Nov 11 2016 6:22 PM
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Highlights

  • Constipation is one of the most prevalent conditions encountered in primary care settings.
  • Constipation ups kidney disease risk.
  • Diagnosis and management of constipation might be helpful for preventing or treating kidney disease.
The link between constipation and poor kidney health discovered.
To further explore the association between constipation and kidney disease, Kovesdy, MD (University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Memphis VA Medical Center) studied information on more than 3.5 million US veterans with normal kidney function who were initially examined in 2004 and 2006 and were followed through 2013.

Study Results
  • Patients with constipation had a 13% higher likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease and a 9% higher likelihood of developing kidney failure compared with patients without constipation
  • More severe constipation linked with an incrementally greater risk for both chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
“Our findings highlight the plausible link between the gut and the kidneys and provide additional insights into the pathogenesis of kidney disease progression,” said Dr. Kovesdy. “Our results suggest the need for careful observation of kidney function trajectory in patients with constipation, particularly among those with more severe constipation.”

Constipation - Facts and Statistics

Constipation is a condition in which you have
  • fewer than three bowel movements a week
  • bowel movements with hard, dry stools making them painful or difficult to pass
Constipation is a common condition that can have an impact on health. For example, constipation is known to boost heart disease risk, through effects caused by gut bacteria.

It affects 42 million people in the United States

In the UK, 1 in every 7 adults and up to 1 in every 3 children has constipation at any one time

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Constipation affects women more when compared to men, and is common among older adults and during pregnancy.

Study co-authors include Keiichi Sumida, MD; Miklos Molnar, MD, PhD; Praveen Potukuchi, MS; Fridtjof Thomas, PhD; Jun Ling Lu, MD; Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD; Kunihiro Yamagata, MD, PhD; and Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, MD, PhD.

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Disclosures: Drs. Kovesdy and Kalantar-Zadeh are employees of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. None of the authors have relevant conflicts of interest.

Tips to Prevent Constipation
  • Include enough fiber-rich foods (fruits and vegetables, wholegrain rice and pasta, seeds and oats) in your diet as it reduces your chances of developing constipation.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
  • Never ignore the urge to have a bowel movement
  • Regular exercise helps reduce your risk of getting constipation
5 Foods that Help Prevent Constipation The findings are published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN)

References
  1. Definition and Facts for Constipation - (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/constipation/Pages/definition-facts.aspx)
  2. Constipation - (http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Constipation/Pages/Introduction.aspx)
  3. Constipation - Prevention - (http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Constipation/Pages/Prevention.aspx)
Source-Medindia


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