Crohn's Disease: The Year in Review

While the research is still out regarding the impact of dysfunctional TH17 genes, alternate research this year also suggested that adopting a Western lifestyle may also be partially to blame for Crohn’s disease. Studies of recently industrialized countries have revealed that there is an increase in the number of Crohn’s cases reported as countries move towards a stereotypically Western lifestyle. Environment, especially the effects of living in a densely urban area are thought to be partially to blame. While results aren’t conclusive yet, this is part of a growing trend towards examining environment and lifestyle as potential predictions of Crohn’s disease.