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AS and Diet

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yvonnette76673
yvonnette76673

Hello, I was diagnosed with AS last April.  I know I have had it for many, many years.  I then had a heart attack in May.   I have two questions.

1.  Has anyone had any heart issues related to their AS?

2.  Has a diet change helped anyone reduce their flares?

Thanks in advance for any input you have.

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • peter21326
    peter21326 yvonnette76673

    Posted

    hi Yvonnette,

    ?  There is a chronic background systemic inflammation associated with AS just as there is with other autoimmune diseases.  This constant low grade inflammation does impact other bodily systems.  I don't know of any specific relationship between AS and heart conditions but there is a very specific relationship between AS and aortic aneurysms.  For whatever reason there seems to be a correlation between AS and aneurysms in the aortic root.  That is the part of the aorta that exits the left ventricle of the heart, becomes the ascending aorta as it goes up and then loops back down all the way into the groin area.  My mother who had an undiagnosed inflammatory process in her lumbar spine had the same aneurysm and it eventually killed her.  I have what is commonly referred to as axial spondyloarthropathy (AS before they start seeing the fusing or ankylosing process in imaging studies) and I also have the very same aneurysm.  They expect to have to replace part of the ascending aorta in the first or second quarter of 2018.  Chronic systemic inflammation is never good for connective tissue or muscle tissue and the heart and vascular system is made up of that type of tissue so it shouldn't be surprising to see impacts.  Hope you are doing better and feeling better.

  • yvonnette76673
    yvonnette76673

    Posted

    Thank you Peter.  That all makes a great deal of sense.  What a horrid disease.

    I wish you all the best for your procedure in 2018.

    Take care.

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