The risk of cardiovascular complications in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing disease of unknown etiology involving gastrointestinal tract. IBD comprises two main entities: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Several studies showed increased risk of cardiovascular complications in chronic inflammatory disorders, especially during IBD relapses. Endothelium plays a role in physiologic regulation of vascular tone, cell adhesion, migration and resistance to thrombosis. Also, its dysfunction is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis development. There are several potential links between chronic IBD-related inflammatory processes and the risk of cardiovascular disease, but insight into pathogenetic pathways remains unclear. We present the current concepts and review of adult and pediatric studies on the risk of CVD in IBD.