High Rates of Smoking Especially in Female Crohn's Disease Patients and Low Use of Supportive Measures to Achieve Smoking Cessation--Data from the Swiss IBD Cohort Study

Biedermann, Luc; Fournier, Nicolas; Misselwitz, Benjamin; Frei, Pascal; Zeitz, Jonas; Manser, Christine N; Pittet, Valerie; Juillerat, Pascal; von Känel, Roland; Friederich, Michael; Vavricka, Stephan R; Rogler, Gerhard (2015). High Rates of Smoking Especially in Female Crohn's Disease Patients and Low Use of Supportive Measures to Achieve Smoking Cessation--Data from the Swiss IBD Cohort Study. Journal of Crohn's & Colitis, 9(10), pp. 819-829. Oxford University Press 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjv113

Preview

Text 819.full.pdf - Published Version Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (1MB) | Preview

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Smoking is a crucial environmental factor in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. However, knowledge on patient characteristics associated with smoking, time trends of smoking rates, gender differences and supportive measures to cease smoking provided by physicians is scarce. We aimed to address these questions in Swiss IBD patients.

METHODS

Prospectively obtained data from patients participating in the Swiss IBD Cohort Study was analysed and compared with the general Swiss population [GSP] matched by age, sex and year.

RESULTS

Among a total of 1770 IBD patients analysed [49.1% male], 29% are current smokers. More than twice as many patients with Crohn's disease [CD] are active smokers compared with ulcerative colitis [UC] [UC, 39.6% vs CD 15.3%, p < 0.001]. In striking contrast to the GSP, significantly more women than men with CD smoke [42.8% vs 35.8%, p = 0.025], with also an overall significantly increased smoking rate compared with the GSP in women but not men. The vast majority of smoking IBD patients [90.5%] claim to never have received any support to achieve smoking cessation, significantly more in UC compared with CD. We identify a significantly negative association of smoking and primary sclerosing cholangitis, indicative of a protective effect. Psychological distress in CD is significantly higher in smokers compared with non-smokers, but does not differ in UC.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite well-established detrimental effects, smoking rates in CD are alarmingly high with persistent and stagnating elevations compared with the GSP, especially in female patients. Importantly, there appears to be an unacceptable underuse of supportive measures to achieve smoking cessation.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

430 since deposited on 16 Mar 2016
32 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item