Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 28, 2025; 31(24): 107661
Published online Jun 28, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i24.107661
Cardiometabolic diseases in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: An evidence-based review
Krishneel Dutt, Abhinav Vasudevan, Alexander Hodge, Tuan L Nguyen, Ashish R Srinivasan
Krishneel Dutt, Abhinav Vasudevan, Alexander Hodge, Ashish R Srinivasan, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Eastern Health, Box Hill 3128, Victoria, Australia
Krishneel Dutt, Abhinav Vasudevan, Alexander Hodge, Ashish R Srinivasan, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill 3128, Victoria, Australia
Alexander Hodge, School of Biomedical Sciences, RMIT, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
Tuan L Nguyen, Department of Cardiology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool 2170, New South Wales, Australia
Tuan L Nguyen, Department of Cardiology, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown 2560, New South Wales, Australia
Tuan L Nguyen, Department of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2033, New South Wales, Australia
Ashish R Srinivasan, Department of Medicine, Austin Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg 3083, Victoria, Australia
Author contributions: Srinivasan AR, Vasudevan A contributed to study concept and design; Dutt K, Srinivasan AR and Vasudevan A contributed to drafting of manuscript; Hodge A, Nguyen TL, Srinivasan AR, Vasudevan A contributed to critical review of manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Srinivasan AR has served as a speaker for Sandoz and Arrowtex Pharmaceuticals, and received advisory fees from Abbvie, Amgen, Arrotex Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Dr Falk Pharmaceuticals; Hodge A has served as a speaker for Norgine and is an associate medical director consultant for Alimentiv; Vasudevan A serves on the advisory board for Abbvie, Pfizer, Ferring, and has served as a speaker for Abbvie and Pfizer. For the remaining authors, none are declared.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ashish R Srinivasan, PhD, Associate Professor, FRACP, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Eastern Health, 8 Arnold Street, Box Hill 3128, Victoria, Australia. ashish.srinivasan1@gmail.com
Received: March 28, 2025
Revised: April 26, 2025
Accepted: June 9, 2025
Published online: June 28, 2025
Processing time: 91 Days and 3.3 Hours
Abstract

Metabolic syndrome-comprising central adiposity, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension-is a major risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Its global prevalence is rising, largely driven by urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and dietary changes. These same factors are also associated with the increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Emerging evidence supports a potential biological link between chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and the later development of cardiometabolic disorders; a connection that is particularly relevant for patients with IBD. Comparative studies examining cardiometabolic risk associated with Crohn’s disease versus ulcerative colitis have reported inconsistent findings, likely due to confounding factors such as age, lifestyle, and comorbidities. This review summarizes current evidence linking IBD and cardiometabolic disorders, and highlights the need for clinicians to recognize cardiometabolic risk in patients with IBD. Future research should investigate whether treat-to-target strategies focused on controlling intestinal inflammation can simultaneously improve both long-term IBD and cardiometabolic outcomes.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn’s disease; Ulcerative colitis; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Cardiovascular disease; Stroke; Metabolic liver disease; Cardiometabolic diseases; Gastrointestinal inflammation

Core Tip: Emerging evidence supports a biological link between chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and the development of cardiometabolic diseases later in life. This is particularly relevant for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which are chronic immune-mediated disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Observational studies indicate that IBD may increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. However, the role of uncontrolled intestinal inflammation in exacerbating this risk-and whether treat-to-target strategies aimed at controlling inflammation in IBD could mitigate these comorbidities-remains unclear. This review provides clinicians with an evidence-based summary of the associations between IBD and cardiometabolic diseases.