Does Cigarette smoking increase the risk of developing Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's Disease?

Objective: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) consists of Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD). The etiology of IBD has been studied and is still unknown, but several risk factors have been associated with the disease. Possible risk factors include genetic predisposition, oral contraceptive use and cigarette smoking. It is important to further research the link between cigarette smoking and IBD. Methods: Reviews and studies were obtained in order to evaluate the relationship between IBD and smoking. Discussion: Current cigarette smoking was found to increase the relative risk of developing Crohn's Disease and decrease the risk of developing Ulcerative Colitis. Conclusion: Although cigarette smoking seems to be protective against developing UC, the other risks associated with cigarettes far outweigh the possible benefits. In order to better understand the connection between IBD and cigarette smoking, it would be necessary to further research the causative mechanism of UC and CD. Keywords: Ulcerative Colitis | Crohn's Disease | Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cigarette Smoking
Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is comprised of Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and affects approximately 1 million Americans (1). The estimated total annual direct (including hospital visits [...]