A LINKAGE BETWEEN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES AND TYPE 2 DIABETES

Abstract

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs) are a class of gastrointestinal chronic inflammations, comprehending Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and/or Crohn Disease (CD) and affecting genetically predisposed subjects. IBDs represent a high cost for the health system, and they are characterized by a very specific co-morbidity. For such reasons, and since a positive correlation between IBDs and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has been observed in the past, the aim of this work is to provide such result with a more solid basis through a cohort study, considering 49 consecutive patients comorbid with IBDs and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). A high correlation between IBDs and T2D was observed. Interestingly, UC was showed the higher correlation, with a particularly high peak within the 65 to 74 years old range. Being T2D a both environmentally and genetically driven pathology (like IBDs), these diseases association could be due to environmental factors. Furthermore, 70.8% of case-control patients (48 cases versus 96 controls, consecutively selected) were suffering from UC, while CD held the remaining 25.0% (4.2% stood for undetermined colitis). This evidences that, among IBDs, the most related to DM is UC, although CD remains a related pathology. Interestingly, CD was found to be absent in the 55-64 years old range. Conversely, cohort study highlighted 73.81% of cohort was suffering from UC, while CD held the remaining 21.43% (4.76% was for non-determined colitis). This confirms that, among IBDs, the most linked to T2D is UC.