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Home > Medical Reference > Patient EducationServices at Maryland GeneralA complete list of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services at MGH.Ulcerative colitis - Risk FactorsDescriptionAn in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ulcerative colitis.Alternative NamesInflammatory bowel disease - ulcerative colitis; Colitis - ulcerative Risk Factors:About 1 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and about half of these patients have ulcerative colitis. There are several risk factors for ulcerative colitis. AgeUlcerative colitis can occur at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in people ages 15 - 35 and, less commonly, in people ages 50 - 75. GenderMen and women are equally at risk for developing ulcerative colitis. Family HistoryUlcerative colitis tends to run in families, with up to 20% of patients having a close relative who also has the disease. Race and EthnicityUlcerative colitis is more common among whites than non-whites. Jewish people of Ashkenzi (Eastern European) descent have a heightened risk for ulcerative colitis. SmokingSmoking appears to increases the risk of developing Crohn's disease, and can worsen the course of the disease. Conversely, smoking appears to decrease the risk of developing ulcerative colitis. Because of the hazards of smoking, however, it should never be used to protect against ulcerative colitis. Resources
ReferencesBaumgart DC and Sandborn WJ. Inflammatory bowel disease: clinical aspects and established and evolving therapies. Lancet. 2007;369(9573):1641-57. Chande N, MacDonald JK and McDonald JW. Methotrexate for induction of remission in ulcerative colitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(4):CD006618. Clark M, Colombel JF, Feagan BC, Fedorak RN, Hanauer SB, Kamm MA, et al. American gastroenterological association consensus development conference on the use of biologics in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, June 21-23, 2006. Gastroenterology. 2007 Jul;133(1):312-39. Langan RC, Gotsch PB, Krafczyk MA and Skillinge DD. Ulcerative colitis: diagnosis and treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2007; 76(9):1323-30. Mahid SS, Minor KS, Soto RE, Hornung CA and Galandiuk S. Smoking and inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis. Mayo Clin Proc. 2006;81(11):1462-71. Mallon P, McKay D, Kirk S and Gardiner K. Probiotics for induction of remission in ulcerative colitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(4):CD005573.
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