The Anonymous Widower

Is There A Connection Between Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease And Atrial Fibrilation?

I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.

Yes, there appears to be a potential connection, with some studies suggesting an association between diverticular disease and a higher risk of cardiovascular issues, though the link is not definitively established for uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease and atrial fibrillation specifically. Research indicates chronic inflammation in diverticular disease could be a contributing factor, increasing the risk for both cardiovascular disease and potentially atrial fibrillation. A case report noted a higher than expected incidence of vagal atrial fibrillation in patients with diverticular disease, but this association needs more robust study to confirm and understand its clinical implications

Is it relevant that I have both conditions?

Google AI cites this paper on National Institutes Of Heath, which is entitled Association of Diverticular Disease Of The Colon And Vagal Atrial Fibrillation.

I asked Google AI “What is Vagal Atrial Fibrillation?” and received this reply.

Vagal atrial fibrillation (AF) is a form of atrial fibrillation triggered by an overactive vagal nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system. It typically occurs at rest or during sleep and is associated with high physical activity, such as in athletes, and can be sparked by factors like large meals or alcohol consumption. Diagnosis relies on electrocardiogram (ECG) findings showing vagotonia and clinical context. Treatments include lifestyle changes, medications with anticholinergic properties, and catheter ablation to target the ganglionated plexi responsible for the arrhythmia.

I am not one for high physical activity, large meals and I don’t consume much alcohol.

The original paper cites this second paper on National Institues of Health, which is entitled Diverticular Disease Of The Colon And Gallstones In New Zealand And England.

This is the abstract of that paper.

The clinical presentation and subsequent treatment of 160 consecutive patients with proven diverticular disease of the colon from the Auckland Hospital, New Zealand were compared with 182 consecutive patients admitted to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. There were significant differences in sex incidence, in the ages of the male patients at presentation, patient symptoms, extent of disease and methods of surgical treatment. These probably reflect differences in the types of National Health Services of the two countries, rather than differences in the natural history of diverticular disease of the colon. Overall, the 342 patients studied show a very good correlation with other large series published over the last 10 years. This study confirms the previously reported association between diverticular disease of the colon and gallstones. It confirms that gallstones are more common in female patients with or without diverticular disease. It suggests that Auckland patients with gallstones are more likely to have had a cholecystectomy than London patients. The possible role of dietary fiber in the aetiology of both gallstones and diverticular disease of the colon is discussed.

Note.

  1. I have had gallstones removed by endoscopy.
  2. They were removed in Homerton Hospital, which is linked to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.
  3. I wrote about their removal in Goodbye To My Gallstones.

I was certainly male last time I looked, although I can’t father any children, as I’ve had a vasectomy.

 

September 26, 2025 Posted by | Health | , , , , | Leave a comment

Prescription Pot Luck

There was a trailer and interview about this BBC documentary, which is available on this page of their web site.

This is the BBC’s description of the programme.

Since it was legalised five years ago hardly any patients in the UK have been prescribed medical cannabis. Used to treat a number of medical conditions, the Government has been accused of misleading the public over its availability on the NHS. Campaigners say an exception has been made for a few patients but others are being forcing to fund it themselves, go without or turn to the black market.

I am in two minds about cannabis.

  • On the one hand, I wouldn’t take it myself.
  • But on the other, it did contribute to making my son; George’s slow death from pancreatic cancer, a little more bearable for him.

George also had a device whereby he could control the level of morphine he was getting and that probably had a more beneficial effect.

I am lucky, when it comes to pain. My late wife used to mock me because I would never take pain killers, if say I had a tooth out.

I always remember taking our middle son; Henry to the A & E at Barts Hospital, when he was about two or three. He’d tripped over a seat-belt getting out of the car and cut his lip badly, when he fell.

Henry was ushered through immediately by a tall black doctor with a shaven head and laid down to be treated. The doctor skillfully stitched him up and Henry didn’t make a sound during the procedure. The odd thing, was that I could see beads of sweat on the doctor’s head.

When he’d finished the doctor picked Henry up and stood him on his feet, saying something like “Off you go!”. Which, Henry duly did!

The doctor then turned to me and said. “Are you alright, Sir?”

I replied that I was and he then said something like. “I’m not! I wasn’t getting any reaction. He put himself into a trance!” He then added. “I’ve seen it with African kids in Nigeria, but not in a white child!” So that explained the beads of sweat!

I feel that episode may have convinced me, that my mind can control pain and several times since, I have been able to avoid taking any drugs.

A few years ago, I had a difficult tooth taken out at the Royal London, which needed the Senior Tutor and two students to extract it. I wrote about it in Taking The Plunge. I’m sure, I got through that by following Henry’s example.

Since then, I met a GP on a dating site. But she wasn’t an ordinary GP. she was also a licensed hypnotist and used hypnotism in her work. Her view was that it is not used enough in medical practice.

I’m also fairly sure, I hypnotised myself to a certain extend, when I had my gallstones out by endoscopy, as I wrote about in Goodbye To My Gallstones.

Perhaps some of us have minds, that can avoid the need for drugs; legal or otherwise?

I shall add to this post, when I’ve watched the BBC documentary.

 

September 13, 2023 Posted by | Health | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blood Testing At The Royal London Hospital

The Royal London Hospital is still trying to get to the bottom of my health incident, that I wrote about in The Hour Change Has Completely Knocked Me Out.

On Monday, I had a serious liver scan by ultrasound at Barts Hospital and today, I was phoned up by the Royal London to invite me to take a blood test to check against those that they took a couple of weeks ago.

They said to turn up any day before five and they would do it there and then.

As I was going past the hospital this afternoon, I turned up about two-thirty, without a prior appointment.

I logged myself into a queuing system, which was more McDonalds or Leon, than NHS and sat for about fifteen minutes, whilst the patients in front of me were tested.

As I sat there, I was approached by a doctor doing research. He asked if I would give a couple of extra vials of blood for his research.

As I knew that this would only delay me for a few more seconds, I said yes and filled in his form, which asked no important ethical questions.

Is the system in use at the Royal London Hospital research-friendly?

Suppose, a researcher is looking into the frequency of a particular gene in a population. They could just ask patients for a sample.

November 24, 2022 Posted by | Health | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Oysters Get New Home At Eneco Luchterduinen Offshore Wind Farm

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

I have never tasted oysters, but what put me off them, was I took a client; Bob, who was the Chief Management Accountant at Lloyds Bank to Dirty Dicks. Bob had a lot of oysters and spent a weekend in Bart’s Hospital.

It turned out to be the first of many drunken meals with Bob and I learned a lot from him, about how to deal with bankers and accountants. He was one of the uncredited designers of Artemis. Thank you Bob!

I do think though that using offshore wind farms to grow food in their shelter will be something we’ll be seeing more and more.

November 3, 2022 Posted by | Computing, Energy, Finance, Food | , , , , , | 1 Comment

My Cardiac Echo Stress Test

I had a cardiac echo stress test today at Barts Hospital.

It has been almost fifty years since, I’ve been to that part of the hospital. And it was heart problems then. Not mine but my mother-in-law’s.

She had a very dodgy ticker and had two heart valve replacements. Her valve was  noisy and once she emptied a bus, as someone thought it was a bomb.

Doctors have thought one of my heart valves was leaking badly, but after the first part of the test, the doctor felt that it wasn’t that bad, so cut the test short.

  • One of my valves does leak, but not badly and it just needs to be watched.
  • The doctor also said, that it won’t need open heart surgery, as methods have improved.
  • So instead of a two hour examination, I had left after forty-five minutes.

That’s the sort of health care I like.

November 6, 2021 Posted by | Health | , , | 3 Comments