The efficacy and feasibility of lifestyle interventions on modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors among people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract

This review aims to highlight the relative importance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) lifestyle-associated risk factors among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and examine the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions to improve these CVD risk factors. Adults with IBD are at higher risk of CVD due to systemic and gut inflammation. Besides that, tobacco smoking, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet can also increase CVD risk. Typical IBD behavioural modification including food avoidance and reduced physical activity, as well as frequent corticosteroid use, can further increase CVD risk. We reviewed seven studies and found that there is insufficient evidence to conclude the effects of diet and/or physical activity interventions on CVD risk outcomes among populations with IBD. However, the limited findings suggest that people with IBD can adhere to a healthy diet or Mediterranean diet (for which there is most evidence) and safely participate in moderately intense aerobic and resistance training to potentially improve anthropometric risk factors. This review highlights the need for more robust controlled trials with larger sample sizes to assess and confirm the effects of lifestyle interventions to mitigate modifiable CVD risk factors among the IBD population.