These Environmental Factors Increase the Risk of IBD

During the past 60 years, experts have documented a steep rise in the incidence of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease—the two medical conditions that make up most cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). For decades, this rise was confined to North America, Western Europe, and other industrialized nations. While there’s some evidence that the rise in IBD has slowed down or even plateaued in those places, IBD is becoming increasingly common in newly industrialized countries in Asia and other parts of the world. There’s no question that genetic factors play a part in a person’s risk for inflammatory bowel disease—and especially for Crohn’s disease. But the increases in IBD incidence and the disease’s pronounced geographical patterns strongly suggest that environmental factors are also at play. “Following World War II, we’ve seen a rapid rise in IBD incidence throughout the developed world,” says Dr. Gilaad Kaplan, a professor and gastroenterologist at the University of Calgary in Canada. “Something about a Western lifestyle seems to be allowing this disease to flourish.” What is that something? That’s the unsolved mystery. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] There are several theories—or rather, suspects. Researchers have found associations between IBD and air pollution, food additives, early-life antibiotic exposures, and other environmental variables. Kaplan says that...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Disease freelance healthscienceclimate Source Type: news