Is there a relationship between smoking cigarettes and developing UC?
Data from population surveys indicate that patients with ulcerative colitis are less likely to be smokers than matched controls from the general population. The relative risk of developing ulcerative colitis among current smokers is about 40%. Former smokers are about 1.7 times more likely to develop the disease than those who have never smoked. Recent controlled trials of nicotine patch therapy for ulcerative colitis suggest that nicotine may play a role in preventing the disease. There have been anecdotal reports of improvement in active stages when former smokers resumed smoking. However, other forms of medical therapy should be attempted and exhausted before resorting to this method. A high proportion of nonsmokers experienced unacceptable side effects from nicotine patches.
