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Smoking and ulcerative colitis: a community study

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Abstract

Smoking habits of patients with ulcerative colitis, diagnosed in the City of Cardiff between the 1st of January 1978 and the 31st of December 1987 were examined. There was a significant deficit of current smokers, an excess of life-long non-smokers and ex-smokers compared with the general population. Men who had previously smoked presented with colitis later than life long non-smokers (mean age difference 16.1 years). The proportion of ex-smokers in this group of patients with colitis was more than twice that expected in the general population. The interval between cessation of smoking and subsequent onset of colitis in ex-smokers was relatively short and in more than half of them occurred within 8 years. There was no significant difference in the frequency of colectomy or the extent of disease among smokers, ex-smokers or life-long non-smokers with ulcerative colitis.

Résumé

Le tabagisme des malades porteurs de colite ulcérative diagnostiquée dans la cité de Cardiff entre le 1er janvier 1978 et le 31 décembre 1987 a été étudié. Il y avait une diminution significative des fumeurs habituels et un excès de non-fumeurs comparé à la population générale. Les gens qui avaient fumé auparavant avaient des colites plus tardivement que les non-fumeurs (moyenne d'âge de différence 16,1 ans). La proportion d'ex-fumeurs dans ce groupe de malades avec colite était plus de deux fois ce que l'on attendait dans la population générale. L'intervalle entre la céssation de tabac et le début de la colite chez les ex-fumeurs était relativement court et chez plus de la moitié d'entre-eux survenait dans les huits ans. Il n'y avait pas de différence significative dans la fréquence de la colectomie ou l'étendue de la maladie parmi les fumeurs, les non-fumeurs et les ex-fumeurs avec une colite ulcérative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK

    E. D. Srivasta & J. Rhodes

  2. Department of Medical Computing and Statistics, College of Medicine, University of Wales, Cardiff, UK

    R. G. Newcombe & P. Avramidis

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, UK

    J. F. Mayberry

Authors
  1. E. D. Srivasta
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  2. R. G. Newcombe
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  3. J. Rhodes
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  4. P. Avramidis
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  5. J. F. Mayberry
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Srivasta, E.D., Newcombe, R.G., Rhodes, J. et al. Smoking and ulcerative colitis: a community study. Int J Colorect Dis 8, 71–74 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299330

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