Constipation Linked to Cognitive Decline, Research Finds

People who are chronically constipated — which means they have a bowel movement once every two or three days — have a 73% higher risk of “subjective cognitive decline” later in life, according to CNN, which reported on research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam.

The data was collected by following up with participants from earlier studies on chronic diseases and their risk factors. The new study found that those who were chronically constipated had three years added to their chronological cognitive aging.

“We were surprised at how strong the associations were, especially for those with very infrequent bowel movements,” Dr. Chaoran Ma, the research’s first author and assistant professor in the department of nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told CNN.

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The study also found that those who had frequent bowel movements — two a day — also had an increased risk of declining cognitive function, but the risk was smaller.

Cognitive health is defined as ”the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember” by the National Institute of Aging. Fifty-five million people worldwide have dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 6.5 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

“The more we learn about the gut-brain access, the more we understand that it’s just so important to ensure that (preventing or addressing cognitive decline) is a system approach,” Maria C. Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, told CNN. 

“The brain is not completely isolated from what’s happening in your blood flow.”

Constipation can be caused by a diet that’s low in fiber or dehydration, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“It makes sense that individuals that are having those movements so much less frequently are going to have less of the good bacteria and more of the bad bacteria that’s caused by inflammatory conditions,” Carrillo told CNN..

But diet isn’t the only cause of constipation, as it can be a side effect of certain medications (such as opioid pain relievers) or physical challenges (like hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins in the anus or rectum).

Some gastrointestinal disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome, can also cause constipation.

Doctors may test your blood, urine, and stool — or perform a colonoscopy — to diagnose the cause of your constipation.  

And if you have blood in your stool, abdominal pain, a fever, or vomiting, the National Institute of Health recommends seeing a doctor.

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