title: Age as a clinical predictor of relapse after induction therapy in ulcerative colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Whether older patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have a better clinical course than younger patients is unclear. We compared the clinical characteristics between older and younger age groups in South Korea to elucidate the impact of age on relapse in UC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients between 18 and 85 years old who were diagnosed with UC at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 1 May 2003 and 31 Oct 2007 were enrolled. It was reviewed their symptoms, endoscopic and pathologic findings, and drugs used in induction treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 73 patients with UC who achieved remission after induction treatment, 38 relapsed. The patients aged 18-44 and 45-85 years had similar clinical features, but the relapse rate was significantly higher in the younger group (69.2 vs. 32.4%; p = 0.002). In a multivariable analysis, age 45-85 years old was an independent protective factor against relapse (OR, 0.146; 95% CI, 0.035-0.508; p = 0.003) after adjusting for sex, frequency of diarrhea, hematochezia grade, disease extent, and systemic steroid used in induction treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An age of 45 years or older is an independent predictor of less relapse in UC.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gumi-dong 300, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea.
authors: Eun Sun
authors: ES
authors: Jang
authors: Dong Ho
authors: DH
authors: Lee
authors: Jaihwan
authors: J
authors: Kim
authors: Hyo-Joon
authors: HJ
authors: Yang
authors: Sang Hyub
authors: SH
authors: Lee
authors: Young Soo
authors: YS
authors: Park
authors: Jin Hyoek
authors: JH
authors: Hwang
authors: Jin-Wook
authors: JW
authors: Kim
authors: Sook-Hyang
authors: SH
authors: Jeong
authors: Nayoung
authors: N
authors: Kim
authors: Hyun Chae
authors: HC
authors: Jung
authors: In Sung
authors: IS
authors: Song
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies