title: Clinical characteristics of young-onset ischemic colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ischemic colitis (IC) typically develops in the elderly, where hypertension, cerebrocardiovascular disease, and past history of abdominal surgery are regarded as risk factors. Although there have been reports of younger patients with IC, its clinical features remain unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical characteristics of IC in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred fifty-nine patients were diagnosed as having IC at five hospitals across Nagano prefecture, Japan. Clinical data were compared between the young patient group [20-45 years, n = 53 (15%)] and the elderly patient group [>45 years, n = 306 (85%)], as well as with age- and gender-matched healthy individuals (n = 156).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of a smoking habit and hyperuricemia were significantly higher in the young patient group compared with the elderly patient group (42 vs. 19%, P = 0.001 and 8 vs. 1%, P = 0.019, respectively), which was confirmed by multiple logistic regression analysis (P = 0.001, odds ratio 3.239 and P = 0.028, odds ratio 16.907, respectively). Additionally, multiple logistic regression analysis of the young IC patient group and age- and gender-matched healthy individuals demonstrated that these two factors were strongly associated with IC development (P = 0.008, odds ratio 2.49 for smoking habit and P = 0.039, odds ratio 6.37 for hyperuricemia).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High prevalences of a smoking habit and hyperuricemia are characteristic features of IC in the young adult population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinji
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tadanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagaya
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shigeno
authors.forename: Naoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Michiharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Takeji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umemura
authors.forename: Norikazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arakura
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003248:Constipation / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012008:Recurrence; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult