BMJ open gastroenterology
Cure8 research brief
Why This Matters
1) People with IBD are known to have higher cardiovascular risk; this study directly assessed subclinical carotid atherosclerosis to see if plaque burden explains that risk.
2) The study found no clear increase in carotid atherosclerosis in people with IBD compared with controls, suggesting other mechanisms (inflammation or clotting) may contribute to cardiovascular risk.
Who Should Pay Attention
Adults with IBD, gastroenterology and cardiology clinicians, and researchers studying cardiovascular risk and inflammation in IBD.
Study Snapshot
Story typeResearch paper
Evidence typeResearch paper
Source depthJournal abstract
What To Know
This study examined whether people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more subclinical carotid atherosclerosis than people without IBD, using carotid ultrasound and other cardiovascular measures in a population-based cohort.
The main finding reported in the abstract is that carotid plaque prevalence, plaque burden, intima–media thickness, carotid stenosis, coronary artery calcium scores and polygenic risk scores were similar between the IBD group and controls after adjustment.
The paper notes that people with IBD had slightly higher high-sensitivity CRP and lower ferritin than controls, but these differences did not translate into greater carotid atherosclerotic burden in this cohort.
The authors conclude that excess cardiovascular risk in IBD may not be explained solely by atherosclerotic plaque and could involve inflammation-related or prothrombotic mechanisms beyond measured atherosclerosis. This summary is based on the article abstract provided on PubMed (BMJ Open Gastroenterology).
It reflects the study's cross-sectional design and reported outcomes; it is not an evaluation of the full manuscript beyond the supplied abstract.
Keep In Mind
Cross-sectional design assesses associations at one time point and cannot prove causation. The study population was age 40–77 from a single regional cohort; results may not generalize to younger patients or different populations. The brief is grounded in the article abstract provided and not a full independent review of the full text.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Research paper
Evidence type derived from source or registry metadata.
PublicationBMJ open gastroenterology
AuthorsAlexander Akhgar, Bernhard Wernly, Alexandra Feldman +8 more
InstitutionParacelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria a.akhgar@salk.at.
Study typeJournal article
Indexed viaPubMed
Source typeResearch paper
PublishedAug 14, 2026, 12:00 AM
Content availableJournal abstract
Conflict statement: Competing interests: None declared.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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