Quantifying risk factors for microscopic colitis: A nationwide, retrospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Epidemiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Microscopic colitis (MC) has known risk factors, but their precise relative risks require thorough evaluation.
• Understanding these associations is crucial for managing MC morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the risk of medical comorbidities and medications associated with microscopic colitis (MC).
• To evaluate the risk of treatments offered to patients diagnosed with MC.

Main Methods:

• Population-based retrospective analysis of the IBM Explorys database (1999-2018) involving 63 million patients.
• Calculation of odds ratios (OR) to determine associations between MC and diseases/medications.
• Stratification of MC patients by age to identify demographic trends.

Main Results:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (OR, 20.2) and proton pump inhibitors (OR, 12.1) showed the highest odds of association with MC.
• Infectious gastroenteritis (OR, 26.6) and celiac disease (OR, 22.5) were strongly linked to MC.
• Tobacco smoking, psoriasis, Sjogren's syndrome, Clostridium difficile infection, and malabsorption syndromes also conferred high odds (>10) of MC association.

Conclusions:

• Early identification of MC is critical for reducing patient morbidity and mortality.
• Integrating epidemiologic data with clinical algorithms can accelerate the identification of at-risk individuals.