Bowel disease linked to blood clots

NOTTINGHAM, England, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- British researchers say the risk of blood clots increases three-fold in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

However, researchers at The University of Nottingham in England find the risk of developing these clots in limbs -- venous thromboembolism -- increases sixteen-fold versus the general population in non-hospitalized patients having a flare-up of bowel disease.

"Despite the low absolute risks during non-hospitalized periods, these results suggest that active inflammatory bowel disease in ambulatory patients might be a far greater risk factor for venous thromboembolism than previously recognized," Dr. Matthew Grainge said in a statement.

Grainge and colleagues analyzed 13,756 inflammatory bowel disease patients and 71,672 matched controls from the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database from 1987-2001 and found 139 patients and 165 controls developed a blood clot

Previous research has led to anti-clotting drugs becoming standard care for patients hospitalized for inflammatory bowel disease -- such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

The study, published in The Lancet, suggests also reducing the risks of this dangerous side-effect in non-hospitalized patients.

"Such strategies to achieve a reduction in risk might include those used for inpatients such as brief courses of low-molecular weight heparin or perhaps newly available oral anticoagulants," Dr. Tim Card, a co-researcher, said.