A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System | In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Get answers to your Ulcerative Colitis questions.
Dr. Flasar’s Bio | Q&A Archive
Inflammatory bowel disease - ulcerative colitis; Colitis - ulcerative
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.
Ulcerative 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.
Men and women are equally at risk for developing ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative colitis tends to run in families, with up to 20% of patients having a close relative who also has the disease.
Ulcerative colitis is more common among whites than non-whites. Jewish people of Ashkenzi (Eastern European) descent have a heightened risk for ulcerative colitis.
Smoking 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.
Baumgart 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.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885