IBD risk high in individuals with certain allergic diseases

Individuals with atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis are at increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as suggested in a retrospective nested case–control study.

Researchers used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, identifying patients with new-onset IBD. They also established a matching cohort of no-IBD individuals (control). Data on comorbidities, demographics, and corticosteroid use were collected and analysed.

A total of 300 IBD patients and 2,400 controls were included in the analysis. The mean age of the patients was 48.6 years, most of whom were between 40 and 64 years of age. More than half of the patients were male (65.7 percent).

Compared with the control group, the IBD group had higher incidence rates of chronic kidney disease (2.3 percent vs 0.7 percent; p=0.010), ischaemic heart disease (10 percent vs 5.2 percent; p=0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.3 percent vs 3.6 percent; p=0.020), atopic dermatitis (2 percent vs 0.3 percent; p=0.002), and allergic rhinitis (8.3 percent vs 4.7 percent; p=0.006).

In conditional logistic regression models, the odds of IBD were greater among participants with atopic dermatitis (odds ratio [OR], 5.73, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.69–19.48), allergic rhinitis (OR, 1.72, 95 percent CI, 1.06–2.79), chronic kidney disease (OR, 3.04, 95 percent CI, 1.15–8.04), and ischaemic heart disease (OR, 1.97, 95 percent CI, 1.20–3.26).

Among participants with atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis specifically, the odds of IBD were increased for those aged <65 years, men, or those not using corticosteroids.