Crohn's Disease: The Year in Review

On the darker side of treatment research, a study from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom was published earlier this year and it linked increased mortality rates to patients using opiates to cope with their Crohn’s symptoms. In part, the increased mortality rate could be attributed to the fact that an increased number of patients had been prescribed opiates to help manage their symptoms since 2010. The team suggested additional research in their study, but just from their initial review it does look like there’s a relationship between opiate use and increased mortality rate in Crohn’s patients. These findings could prompt medical providers to prescribe opiates more cautiously for their patients, and they may continue to spur the medical community towards other, safer treatment options.