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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffUlcerative colitis affects about the same number of women and men. Risk factors may include:
- Age. Ulcerative colitis usually begins before the age of 30. But, it can occur at any age, and some people may not develop the disease until their 50s or 60s.
- Race or ethnicity. Although whites have the highest risk of the disease, it can occur in any race. If you're of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, your risk is even higher.
- Family history. You're at higher risk if you have a close relative, such as a parent, sibling or child, with the disease.
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Isotretinoin use. Isotretinoin is a medication sometimes used to treat scarring cystic acne or acne that doesn't respond to other treatments. It used to be sold under the brand name Accutane, but that brand has been discontinued, and it's now sold under the brand names Amnesteem, Claravis and Sotret.
There is conflicting information as to whether isotretinoin use can increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease. Some studies have suggested a possible link, while other studies have found no such evidence. The question of whether or not there is a link is further complicated by research that suggests a possible connection between the use of tetracycline class antibiotics and the development of IBD. Many people who have been treated with isotretinoin for acne also have received tetracyclines as part of their acne therapy. Studies that have examined the possible link between isotretinoin and IBD have not addressed the question of whether antibiotics used for acne may have played a role in increasing risk.
- Ulcerative colitis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colitis/. Accessed July 1, 2011.
- About ulcerative colitis and proctitis. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. http://www.ccfa.org/frameviewer/?url=/media/pdf/livingwithuc52010.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2011.
- Ulcerative colitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec02/ch018/ch018c.html. Accessed July 1, 2011.
- Shale M, et al. Isotretinoin and intestinal inflammation: What gastroenterologists need to know. Gut. 2009;58:737.
- Burakoff R, et al. Inflammatory bowel disease. In: Greenberger NJ, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Endoscopy. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Medical Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6200149. Accessed June 20, 2011.
- Peppercorn MA, et al. Medical management of ulcerative colitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 30, 2011.
- Ulcerative colitis practice guidelines in adults. Bethesda, Md.: American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/physicians/guidelines/UlcerativeColitis.pdf. Accessed June 20, 2011.
- Rutgeerts P, et al. Biological therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases. Gastroenterology. 2009;136:1182.
- IBD and pregnancy: What you need to know. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. http://www.ccfa.org/about/news/pregnancy. Accessed July 2, 2011.
- Enck P. Acupuncture treatment in gastrointestinal diseases: A systematic review. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2007;13:3417.
- Fact sheet: Complementary and alternative medicine. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. http://www.ccfa.org/frameviewer/?url=/media/pdf/FactSheets/CAM.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2011.
- Taylor RA, et al. Curcumin for inflammatory bowel disease: A review of human studies. Alternative Medicine Review. 2011;16:152.
- Picco MF (expert review). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. July 11, 2011.
- Colorectal cancer screening guidelines. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/guidelines.htm. Accessed July 12, 2011.
- Reddy D, et al. Possible association between isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006;101:1569.
- Crockett SD, et al. A causal association between isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel disease has yet to be established. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009;104:2387.
- Crockett SD, et al. Isotretinoin use and the risk of inflammatory bowel disease: A case-control study. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010;105:1986.
- Bernstein CN, et al. Isotretinoin is not associated with inflammatory bowel disease: A population-based case-control study. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009;104:2744.
- Margolis DJ, et al. Potential association between the oral tetracycline class of antimicrobials used to treat acne and inflammatory bowel disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010;105:2610.
- Loftus EV (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 21, 2011.
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