Clinical course is mild in elderly-onset IBD patients. This information would need to be taken into account by physicians when therapeutic strategies are established.

There is no increased risk for developing intestinal cancer among patients with elderly onset IBD in this population-based cohort. There are increased risks of developing lymphoproliferative and myeloproliferative disorders in all IBD. Thiopurines exposure was not found as associated with an increased risk to lymphoproliferative disorders. These data reinforce the difference between elderly onset IBD as compared with patients with younger age at IBD onset.

Background Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) occurred in genetically predisposed people exposed to environmental triggers. Diet has long been suspected to contribute to the development of IBD. Supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) protects against intestinal inflammation in rodent models while clinical trials showed no benefits. We hypothesized that intervention timing is crucial and dietary fatty acid pattern may influence intestinal environment to modify inflammation genesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary effect of PUFA composition on intestinal inflammation. Methods Animals received diet varying in their PUFA composition for four weeks before TNBS-induced colitis. Colon inflammatory markers and gut barrier function parameters were assessed. Inflammatory pathway PCR arrays were determined. Results n-3 diet significantly decreased colon iNOS, COX-2 expression, IL-6 production, and LTB4 production but tended to decrease colon TNFα production (P = 0.0617) compared to control diet. Tight junction protein (claudin-1, occludin) expressions and MUC2 and TFF3 mRNA levels were not different among groups. n-9 diet also decreased colon IL-6 production (P < 0.05). Conclusions Dietary n-3 PUFA influence colitis development by attenuating inflammatory markers. Further research is required to better define dietary advice with a scientific rationale.

Subcutaneous and visceral adiposity indexes correlate inversely with adverse outcome in patients with Crohn's disease. Alteration of body composition assessed by computed tomography in these patients appears to be a marker of disease severity.