In further evidence of the relative importance of environment over genetics in the development of IBD, new research has identified a link between warmer climates and lower incidences of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
Tracking the location and lifestyle information of about 175,000 female American nurses biennially over twenty years, researchers, writing in GUT, found the incidences of CD and UC increased significantly the further subjects lived from the equator.
At age 30, living in southern latitudes was associated with a roughly halved risk of developing CD (CI=0.30 to 0.77) and around a 40% reduced risk of developing UC (CI=0.42-0.90).
The results are consistent with European studies linking latitude with the development of IBD.
“The major contribution of this study...
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