IBD more likely in areas with low UV ( and thus low vitamin D) – June 2014

Lower regional and temporal ultraviolet exposure is associated with increased rates and severity of inflammatory bowel disease hospitalisation.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Jun 18. doi: 10.1111/apt.12845. [Epub ahead of print]
Limketkai BN1, Bayless TM, Brant SR, Hutfless SM.

BACKGROUND:
In the northern hemisphere, the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) has a north-south gradient, suggesting a link between ultraviolet (UV) exposure or vitamin D status and the pathogenesis of IBD.

AIM:
To test the association of UV exposure with the rates and severity of IBD hospitalisation.

METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective nationwide analysis of 649 932 Crohn's disease (CD), 384 267 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 288 894 297 non-IBD hospitalisations in the US between 1998 and 2010. Mean UV exposure was assigned to each hospitalisation using surface measures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Relative rates across UV exposures were estimated for IBD hospitalisations, prolonged hospitalisations, bowel surgeries and deaths.

RESULTS:
Among IBD patients, lower UV exposures had increased hospitalisation rates for CD (217.8 vs. 182.5 per 100 000 overall hospitalisations with low and very high UV, respectively; P trend <0.001) and UC (123.2 vs. 113.8 per 100 000; P trend = 0.033). Low UV groups had greater relative rates of prolonged hospitalisations [CD: 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.19; UC: 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.30], bowel surgeries (CD: 1.24, 95% CI 1.16-1.32; UC: 1.21, 95% CI 1.09-1.33), and CD deaths (CD: 1.76, 95% CI 1.14-2.71; UC: 1.24, 95% CI 0.92-1.67). Among non-IBD patients, low UV was associated with prolonged hospitalisations (1.09; 95% CI 1.07-1.11) and deaths (1.13; 95% CI 1.09-1.17), but not bowel surgeries (1.01; 95% CI 0.99-1.03).

CONCLUSIONS:
Lower ultraviolet exposure is associated with greater rates of hospitalisation, prolonged hospitalisation and the need for bowel surgery in IBD. This trend for bowel surgery was not seen with non-IBD encounters.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PMID: 24943863

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Comments by VitaminDWiki:

1. Tropospheric pollution and haze were not considered in the calculation of UV index
2. They appeared to ignore skin color - those with dark skins are very much less likely to benefit from UV

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview Gut and vitamin D includes some major reviews by Vitamin D Council
• Gut category 207 items
• Inflammatory diseases: review of vitamin D, with many tables – May 2014
• "inflammatory bowel disease" OR "inflammatory bowel symptom" 393 items as of June 2014
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome - can it be treated by 3000 IU of vitamin D - RCT Feb 2014
• Sun and UV section on VitaminDWiki
• Overview UV and vitamin D notes that pollution and haze appear to GREATLY decrease the UVB reaching the surface
• Air Pollution reduces Vitamin D production - many studies
• Colorado has the best UV (and thus best health) in the US wonder if IBD is lower in Colorado?
• UV, sunshine, and vitamin D (87 charts) - Holick March 2013
• Some childhood cancer 30% less likely in parts of California with more UVB – April 2013
• Interview with transcript concerning UVA, UVB, and health – Grant Dec 2012

Pages listed in BOTH the categories GUT and UV

See also web

• Review of this study at Vitamin D Council is behind a $5/month paywall