Study: Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Have Increased Risk of Fractures

According to a study from 2010, Swiss scientists conducting research for the University Hospitals of Geneva and Lausanne have found strong evidence that children and young adults who suffer from inflammatory bowel disorders, such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, are at an increased risk of fracturing bones.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic form of inflammation that can devastate the entire gastrointestinal tract. Not only does it cause severe pain and discomfort, in many cases it causes permanent damage to sensitive digestive tissue which prevents them from properly absorbing essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium.

Besides facing malabsorption of nutrients, growing bodies afflicted with severe gastrointestinal conditions like IBD often also suffer from generalized malnutrition due to an understandably reduced desire to eat. Like most of us, they tend to avoid things that cause them extreme pain.

To further complicate matters, many doctors eventually resort to prescribing their IBD patients drugs from a class of powerful anti-inflammatory steroids, known as glucocorticoids. These are known to have some serious and, in the case of these new Swiss findings, painful side effects.

Glucocorticoids, specifically, are known to suppress the absorption of calcium and inhibit bone formation. They have also been connected with muscle fatigue and extended healing times, as well as an increased tendency toward general infection.

Historically, doctors and patients have agreed that while less than ideal, these side effects are a far better alternative to suffering through the frequent and traumatic flare-ups associated with IBD. In light of these new Swiss findings, however, many of them may begin to reconsider their options.

Digestive tissue that has been scarred by Inflammatory Bowel Disease is significantly less effective at absorbing calcium and vitamin D – both of which the human body depends on to build and maintain strong, healthy bones. According to the researchers, not only does bowel disease lower bone mineral density, it also alters the micro architecture of developing bones.

In particular, the micro architecture of trabecular bone material – the softer form of bone tissue typically found near joints and contained between spinal vertebrate – was found to be especially fragile in young IBD patients.

Fractured bones aren’t just painful and inconvenient, they can take their own long-term toll on the body, even long after they have healed. Once a bone breaks, they are often times prone to repeated fracture. Additionally, there are a number of potential complications, such as compartment syndrome, which can in some cases result in permanent deformity or loss of limb.

The researchers responsible for this study recommend that the calcium and vitamin D levels of all IBD patients, especially those of younger ones who are being treated with glucocorticoid anti-inflammatories, be closely monitored by their healthcare provider. If necessary, they also recommend regular weight-bearing exercise and the use of dietary supplementation to ensure proper quantities of calcium and vitamin D are available to the body for proper bone maintenance.

I would personally recommend eating more foods high in calcium and vitamin d. If for some reason you can’t eat these foods or just don’t like them, then it would be wise to take both a calcium supplement and a Vitamin D3 supplement.

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