Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

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Causes and Risk Factors

The cause for inflammatory bowel disease is unknown. IBD may be caused by an immune system response that is related to a combination of genetic (hereditary), environmental, and infectious (e.g., viral, bacterial) risk factors.

In patients who have IBD, a genetic abnormality may cause the immune system to overreact to bacteria, a virus, or an environmental factor, resulting in chronic inflammation in the GI tract.

Environmental risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease may include the following:

• Diet
• High stress levels
• Lack of exercise (sedentary lifestyle)
• Smoking

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