Approved Research

Common risk factors and prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome

Lay summary

Aims: Our study aims to investigate potential risk factors and prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome diseases. Scientific rationale: These two categories of diseases affect a large and growing population worldwide. However, the potential lifestyle and environment risk factors are not exactly clear until now. Current studies suggest that some lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity, may play an important role in the development of these two categories of diseases. Meanwhile, the prognosis of these two categories of diseases, especially the long-term prognosis is still lack of evidence. Whether inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome diseases are associated with increased risk of multiple health-related outcomes, such as cancer, metabolic diseases, mental disorders and mortality, is still needed to investigate and assess in the large-scale, prospective, long-term cohort study. Project duration: This complicated project includes several independent analyses. We expect to achieve some initial milestones in the next 3 years. Public health impact: Our study may promote public health policy priorities by focusing on common lifestyle and environment risk factors of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome diseases. Evidences on the risk factors and prognosis of these diseases may inform healthcare providers to ensure the long-term survival of those patients, and inspires new clinical practices in disease treatment.

Scope extension, June 2024:

1. We will investigate the association between multiple common lifestyle and environmental factors, including diet, sleep, physical activity, food allergy, obesity and medications, and the occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome diseases, to declare potential risk factors.
2. We will assess the effect of multiple common factors, including diet, sleep and physical activity, on the impact of symptoms, severity, work life and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome diseases, and clarify the short-term prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome diseases.
3. We will investigate the association between inflammatory bowel disease/irritable bowel syndrome and the occurrence of multiple health-related outcomes, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases (ie, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic liver disease), mental disorders (ie, anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer' disease) and mortality, and clarify the long-term prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
4. We will investigate the association between multiple common factors, biochemical test and the occurrence of multiple health-related outcomes for those with non-alcoholic liver disease, and clarify the long-term prognosis of non-alcoholic liver disease.