Lifestyle changes can prevent IBS: BMJ

MASSACHUSETTS: A research recently conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the BMJ journal probes into the estimation of Crohn’s (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) diseases that could be prevented by modifiable lifestyle factors.

This study, designed as a prospective cohort study consisted of risk assessment of CD and UC based on established lifestyle risk factors, according to the American healthy lifestyle recommendations.

A comparison was done on the incidence of CD and UC between low-risk and high-risk individuals.

Results showed that in an overall documentation of 346 CD and 456 UC cases, those who maintained a recommended form of lifestyle according to the healthy lifestyle scores (HLS), an assessment of adherence to healthy lifestyle recommendations by the US HHS and USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the AHA Guidelines for Healthy Living prevented 42.9%  of CD and 44.4% of UC cases.

The results concluded that the risk of diagnosis of UC and CD can be substantially reduced through lifestyle modification.