Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases Blood Clot Risk

A study in the journal GUT, a publication of the British Medical Journal, suggests that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have twice the number of deep vein thromboses (DVT) or pulmonary embolisms (PE) as does the general population. Previous smaller studies have demonstrated such an association, but this was the largest study by far, enrolling almost 50,000 IBD patients. IBD is a term referring to Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, two diseases that cause severe inflammation of the bowels which can lead to intestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, infection, diarrhea, malnutrition, and more. A DVT is a blood clot that occurs in the deep veins of the body, most often in the legs. These clots can dislodge and travel to the lungs, causing what is called a pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening condition. This study suggests that IBD should be a consideration for physicians who are considering starting their patients on medications to prevent DVT/PE. Currently, an estimated 1-2 million people in the U.S. have IBD. (via GUT)