Patients Don’t Realize Smoking Worsens Inflammatory Bowel Disease

But the message for patients should still be clear, Dr. Gilaad Kaplan, a gastroenterology researcher at the University of Calgary in Alberta, said by email.

“The most important step that an individual can take to prevent IBD is not to smoke in the first place,” added Kaplan, who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Among smokers who are diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, quitting smoking is an action that they can take for themselves to improve their health,” Kaplan said.