Study Reveals Possible Link Between Gastrointestinal Syndromes and Risk of Brain Aneurysm

There is a potential connection between a diagnosis of certain gastrointestinal (GI) syndromes and the formation and rupture of intracranial (brain) aneurysms, according to research presented today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 21st Annual Meeting.

An intracranial aneurysm (IA) occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bulges, putting pressure on the vessel wall. IAs that rupture cause brain bleeding and lead to a hemorrhagic stroke, a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate medical attention from a neurointerventionalist. Researchers have questioned whether GI syndromes may be connected to the formation and rupture of IAs. In their study, „The Gut-Brain Axis: A Nationwide Database Analysis of Gastrointestinal Syndromes Preceding a Diagnosis of Intracranial Aneurysms,“ researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that certain digestive symptoms and diagnoses may precede the formation and rupture of IAs.

The team analyzed data from 72,545 individuals with ruptured IAs, 46,748 individuals with unruptured IAs and matched controls looking for patients who had been diagnosed with GI disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhea before their IA diagnosis. Then, they validated their findings in a cohort study with a five-year timeframe. Researchers found that GI syndromes and appendectomy were associated with both ruptured and unruptured IA cases.

Specifically, patients with IA who had been previously diagnosed with difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), diarrhea and constipation were more likely to experience both IA formation and rupture, leading to hemorrhagic stroke. Separately, they found that patients with IA who had been diagnosed with reflux disease, chronic stomach pain and bloating (known as functional dyspepsia), and IBS without diarrhea were more likely to only experience IA formation without rupture.