Smoking and the Pill Increase the Risk of Ulcerative Colitis

FEATURED SEARCH TERM:   ulcerative colitis



Women who take oral contraceptives and smoke cigarettes have an increased risk of ulcerative colitis, according to two large cohort studies. The study strengthens the association between modifiable risk factors and the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease.


RESULT: Oral contraceptives, reproductive factors and risk of inflammatory bowel disease
Gut | May 22, 2012 (Free abstract. Full text $30)


IBD patients have low levels of vitamin D, which puts them at risk for vertebral fracture, according to this case-control study. The authors suggest IBD patients have X-rays for early detection of morphometric fracture, regardless of their clinical symptoms and bone mass.

RESULT: Vertebral fractures in patients with inflammatory bowel disease COMPARED with a healthy population: a prospective case-control study
BMC Gastroenterology | May 14, 2012 (FREE FULL TEXT)