This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Patients with asthma, COPD experienced greater incidence of IBD

Patients with asthma and COPD had a higher incidence of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis compared with the general public, according to results of a new study.

“Although a link has previously been suggested, this is the first study to find significantly increased rates of inflammatory bowel disease incidence in people with asthma and COPD,” Paul Brassard, MD, MSc, associate professor of medicine, McGill University, and clinical scientist, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, said in a press release. “If we can confirm a link between the two conditions, it will help diagnose and treat people sooner, reducing their symptoms and improving their quality of life.”

Paul Brassard

Brassard and colleagues conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using databases of 136,178 patients with asthma and 143,904 patients with COPD in Quebec. Incidence of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) was measured from 2001 to 2006. All patients, except those aged 2 years or younger at diagnosis, were free of IBD for at least 2 years.

Among 202 patients with asthma the mean age at diagnoses for CD was 26 years, with the average CD incidence of 23.1 per 100,000 person-years. The mean age at UC diagnosis was 31 years, with the average UC incidence of 8.8 per 100,000 person-years. For 141 patients with COPD, the mean age at diagnosis for CD was 69 years, with an incidence of 26.2 per 100,000 person-years, while the mean age for diagnoses of UC was 72 years with an incidence rate of 17 per 100,000 person-years.

By comparison with the general population, the asthma cohort had a 27% greater incidence of CD. The COPD group had a 55% greater incidence of CD and a 30% higher incidence of UC vs. the general population.

The researchers also found that women with asthma were more likely to develop CD than men, while men with COPD were more likely to develop UC.

“Medical professionals involved in the care of airway disease patients who develop digestive symptoms need to be aware of the possible occurrence of new cases of IBD, even in older age groups, and regardless of smoking status,” Brassard told Healio Allergy/Immunology.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.