Hormone therapy increases risk of ulcerative colitis but not Crohn's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Estrogen has been proposed to modulate gut inflammation through an effect on estrogen receptors found on gastrointestinal epithelial and immune cells. The role of postmenopausal hormone therapy on risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is unclear.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 108,844 postmenopausal US women (median age, 54 years) enrolled in 1976 in the Nurses' Health Study without a prior history of CD or UC. Every 2 years, we have updated information on menopause status, postmenopausal hormone use, and other risk factors. Self-reported diagnoses of CD and UC were confirmed through medical record review by 2 gastroenterologists who were blinded to exposure information. We used Cox proportional hazards models to calcu

SUBMITTER: Khalili H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3480540 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature