1. Community
  2. Heart Health
  3. Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection

Aortic aneurysm:would collagen pills help ?

Posted , 9 users are following.

Mim66
Mim66

My dad has this aortic aneurysm and I am wondering if he should take collagen tablets to possibly help 'strengthen' it and help prevent it bursting. Its less than the 5.5 cm and it has been monitered for 2 years and no significant change so far . He is 80. He wouldnt survive an op. Any advice welcome.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • xtine
    xtine Mim66

    Posted

    where have you heard of this(collagen)? where is it? and glad it has been stable for two years - good sign they wouldn't operate anyway if it was under 5.5 and stable. keep up the good work - nosudden stress (as far as is humanly possible) and keeping blood presurelow. Oats twice a day is very helpful for that.

  • Mim66
    Mim66

    Posted

    Hi thanks for your reply. I just understand that collagen is in skin and muscles and it is lower as you age so I wondered if taking a supplement of collagen would help strenthen arteries etc and help. Just my thinking.

  • boyzmummy
    boyzmummy Mim66

    Posted

    HI Mim66

    I'm glad you Dad is stable, is the aneurysm thoracic or abdominal,  That does make a difference to when they would operate and the risks.

    I have heard of the collagen tablets,  a friend of mine recently had hip replacement surgery and was advised by a fitness instructor to take them, its also found in foods such as Kale and chicken skin, he did say be careful and check the ingredients before buying them.  

    I have a thoracic aneurysm and never really linked the two though,  but yes I can understand where you are coming from as when you get older you loose collagen from your body so things become less elastic, typical example is the skin- hence wrinkles.  

    I would speak to your cardiologist before beginning any new drugs, in the meantime does anyone else have any experience or knowledge regarding collagen?

    • Mim66
      Mim66 boyzmummy

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. In relation to being careful of ingredients in collagen pills what does your friend mean do you think? I was going to get him some from superdrug they have collagen and coconut tablets from a fish/marine source for £ 10 pounds but other ones are from animal /bovine sources. x

  • frances_15870
    frances_15870 Mim66

    Posted

    Yes like xtine and boyzmummy where is the aneurysm.?

    And like them too, we all know about collagen but not heard of it being used to treat thoracic aneurysms. 

    Does he have asthma?

    • Mim66
      Mim66 frances_15870

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. It is an adominal one. No asthma ( not sure why that would matter) thanks
    • xtine
      xtine Mim66

      Posted

      mainly because the elective surgical procedures are so different. With ascending thoracic aneurysms elective surgery means open heart surgery and cutting through the breast bone - long and critical whereas abdominal elective proceedure can be far less invasive - through a vein or a stent. I would be a lot less woried if mine were adbdominalthough of course both can be fatal if they rupture or dissect. Also breathing problems are sometimes experienced by those with anurysms in their chest and some research has shown that a common asthma drug can stop the growth of thoracic aneurysms in mice.
    • Mim66
      Mim66 xtine

      Posted

      Thanks for explaining the difference and your reply.x
  • DebW
    DebW Mim66

    Posted

    Hello, I am sorry I can't answer your question about collagen - but I would think that if it did help, people in the group would have been advised to take it by now. Perhaps someone knows more?

    As Xtine said, no sudden stress, low blood pressure, plus limited lifting, no straining for bowel movements (many ageing adults have that problem).

    My aneurysm was 5.7 when I was diagnosed. It truly is a scary place to be. The surgeons won't operate unless they feel the risk is lower than the risk of rupture.

     

  • katie18406
    katie18406 Mim66

    Posted

    My dad just had a dissection this weekend, and I take collagen daily so I have been wondering the same thing. My husband is a medical resident and said he thinks it is a different type of collagen, but I haven't been able to find any studies or definitive information online. 

    I have certainly seen the effects on my skin, hair, and nails through daily use, so I don't think it's a leap to assume it would have the same effects internally, but I truly don't know. I've read collagen helps with wound healing on the skin (stitches, etc) and has gut (internal) benefits, so it seems like at worst it would still help in other areas. I wish we knew more! Obviously check with your dad's doctor, but to me it seems like a supplement (as long as you source a high quality product) that would not have any adverse effects if added since collagen is readily found in many foods. It seems like collagen supplements are a relatively new "trend", so there probably just haven't been enough studies to determine either way.

  • z53904
    z53904 Mim66

    Posted

    I am not a doctor however I did a lot of reading about this since I have been diagnosed with an Ascending Aneurysm as well. Cleveland Clinic has a lot of resources on this and from what I understand if the patient is not healthy enough or older under emergency use they can plant a graph endoscopically in the ascending aorta. I do not thing there are any medications you can take to deal with this condition.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.