Study: Relationship between hypertension and risk of constipation

Patients with hypertension or high BP may be more prone to developing constipation (irregular bowel movements), signifying a close connection between the two.

To find the causal association between constipation and hypertension (high blood pressure) using Mendelian randomization research.

In this 2-way, 2-sample Mendelian randomization research, the genetic variants related to constipation were obtained from a genome-wide association study involving people of European descent, comprising 15,902 cases and 395,721 controls.

Similarly, genetic links for hypertension were sourced from the data from a genome-wide association study of European ancestry, which included 54,358 cases and 408,652 controls.

Genetic predisposition to hypertension was linked to a greater risk of constipation (OR: 3.459, 95% CI: 1.820–6.573, P < .001).

Conversely, the inverse Mendelian randomization analysis exhibited no causal effect of constipation on hypertension (OR: 0.999, 95% CI: 0.987–1.011). These connotations remained steady in sensitivity analyses, with no evidence of pleiotropy.

This study suggests a causal connection between hypertension and constipation.