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World J Gastroenterol. Jun 14, 2011; 17(22): 2723-2733
Published online Jun 14, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i22.2723
Comorbidity in inflammatory bowel disease
Antonio López San Román, Fernando Muñoz
Antonio López San Román, Gastroenterology Ramón y Cajal Hospital, E28034 Madrid, Spain
Fernando Muñoz, Digestive Diseases, Complejo Hospitalario Hospital, Altos de Nava, 24080 León, Spain
Author contributions: Both authors contributed equally in the conception, bibliographic research and writing of the paper.
Correspondence to: Antonio López San Román, PhD, Gastroenterology Ramón y Cajal Hospital, E28034 Madrid, Spain. alopez.hrc@salud.madrid.org
Telephone: +34-91-3368000 Fax: +34-91-3368000
Received: August 12, 2010
Revised: September 29, 2010
Accepted: October 6, 2010
Published online: June 14, 2011
Abstract

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be affected by other unrelated diseases. These are called comorbid conditions, and can include any secondary health problem that affects a person suffering from a primary or main disease, and which is neither linked physiopathologically to the primary condition, nor is it due to the treatments used for the primary condition or to its long-term anatomical or physiological consequences. Different comorbid conditions, as well as their influence on IBD, are discussed.

Keywords: Comorbidity, Comorbid conditions, Crohn’s disease, Inflammatory bowel disease, Ulcerative colitis