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Several studies have demonstrated that appendicitis and appendectomy are both associated with lower risk for ulcerative colitis. In this population-based study, risk for ulcerative colitis in families with histories of appendicitis was evaluated to explore whether the reduced risk for ulcerative colitis results from appendicitis or appendectomy itself, or from genetic factors that produce both excess risk for appendicitis and lower risk for ulcerative colitis.
Researchers used a national registry in Denmark to evaluate outcomes in 7.1 million individuals and 174 million person-years of follow-up between 1997 and 2011. In all, 190,004 persons developed appendicitis and 45,202 had ulcerative colitis. Compared with participants without family h…