Older people with IBD may develop more frequent infections
According to a study published in this month’s issue of Gastroenterology, patients 50 years old and older who take multiple immunosuppressive medications for inflammatory bowel disease have a higher risk for developing infections.
Researchers studied the records of 300 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and they found patients 50 years old and older were three times more likely to have infections than those patents under 50 years. The more immunosuppressive medications they were taking, medications that lower the the immune response, the higher the risk of infection. Those who were taking one such medication were three times more likely to develop an opportunistic infection. These types of infections are caused by organisms that do not normally cause infection in people who are otherwise healthy. Patients who were taking two or three different immunosuppressive medications were 14 times more likely to develop opportunistic infections than those on none.
If you fall into this category and you are concerned, speak with your doctor to see what you can do.
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POSTED IN: IBS/IBD/Crohn's, Medications, Seniors, Studies
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