Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2012 11:13:14 GMT -5
Chronic constipation, heart disease and death
Q: I had always believed that Elvis Presley died at 42 from a heart attack. However, I've recently read that his longtime physician George Nichopoulos believes Elvis died from chronic constipation. How does someone die from that?
A: According to the autopsy report, hypertensive cardiovascular disease and a "colon problem" were the likely contributing factors to his premature death from a heart attack. It has been reported by his now-retired personal physician that Elvis suffered for years from chronic constipation and that his colon was markedly distended at autopsy. Elvis was reportedly found on his bathroom floor, lending speculation to the theory that a "straining effort" might have triggered his heart attack.
The straining of a bowel movement in the setting of underlying heart disease and high blood pressure certainly could cause a heart attack, stroke, or fainting episode. Elvis was said to have been prescribed pain medications, including codeine and hydrocodone, two drugs known to be very constipating. If he had some sort of underlying tendency toward chronic constipation, as Nichopoulos has speculated, any pain medication would have made things much worse.
When one strains to have a bowel movement, the effort transiently reduces the flow of blood back to the heart. There's a transient reduction in blood pressure and cardiac output, and a marked rise in heart rate. When the straining effort ceases, there's a big rush of blood to the heart followed by a gradual fall in the heart rate toward normal. This is called the "Valsalva maneuver." If there's underlying heart disease, such straining could result in a fatal heart arrhythmia or heart attack.
www.philly.com/philly/health/20120319_Ask_Dr__H__Nicotine__cardiovascular_disease.html?cmpid=138896554
Q: I had always believed that Elvis Presley died at 42 from a heart attack. However, I've recently read that his longtime physician George Nichopoulos believes Elvis died from chronic constipation. How does someone die from that?
A: According to the autopsy report, hypertensive cardiovascular disease and a "colon problem" were the likely contributing factors to his premature death from a heart attack. It has been reported by his now-retired personal physician that Elvis suffered for years from chronic constipation and that his colon was markedly distended at autopsy. Elvis was reportedly found on his bathroom floor, lending speculation to the theory that a "straining effort" might have triggered his heart attack.
The straining of a bowel movement in the setting of underlying heart disease and high blood pressure certainly could cause a heart attack, stroke, or fainting episode. Elvis was said to have been prescribed pain medications, including codeine and hydrocodone, two drugs known to be very constipating. If he had some sort of underlying tendency toward chronic constipation, as Nichopoulos has speculated, any pain medication would have made things much worse.
When one strains to have a bowel movement, the effort transiently reduces the flow of blood back to the heart. There's a transient reduction in blood pressure and cardiac output, and a marked rise in heart rate. When the straining effort ceases, there's a big rush of blood to the heart followed by a gradual fall in the heart rate toward normal. This is called the "Valsalva maneuver." If there's underlying heart disease, such straining could result in a fatal heart arrhythmia or heart attack.
www.philly.com/philly/health/20120319_Ask_Dr__H__Nicotine__cardiovascular_disease.html?cmpid=138896554