The results speak for themselves, with plenty of studies pointing towards a possible link between constipation and a shortened or lower quality of life.
In 2019, a huge observational study included 3,359,653 U.S. veterans, of whom 237,855 (7.1 percent) were diagnosed with constipation.
Dr Lee explained: “The authors calculated that those with constipation had a 12 percent higher all-cause mortality than those who were not constipated.
“The group with constipation had an 11 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease, and a 19 percent increased risk of ischaemic stroke.
“Increased mortality was also linked to the increased use of laxatives.”
Previous studies looking at a possible link between constipation and mortality have had conflicting results, but the above study included over 3.5 million participants and is thought to be the largest study to date.