Which factor is described as decreasing the risk of ulcerative colitis?

Which factor is described as decreasing the risk of ulcerative colitis?

• A. Smoking
• B. Non-smoking
• C. High-fat diet
• D. Regular exercise

Answer: (A)

Smoking reduces the risk of developing ulcerative colitis. People who smoke have a lower incidence of UC compared with nonsmokers, a protective association thought to involve nicotine and other tobacco components that can modulate mucosal immune responses in the colon. This does not mean smoking is good overall; it increases risks for many other diseases and can worsen outcomes if UC is already present. The other factors don’t have a proven protective effect against UC: not smoking removes the protective influence, a high-fat diet isn’t established to decrease UC risk, and regular exercise, though healthy, isn’t specifically known to lower UC incidence.

Smoking reduces the risk of developing ulcerative colitis. People who smoke have a lower incidence of UC compared with nonsmokers, a protective association thought to involve nicotine and other tobacco components that can modulate mucosal immune responses in the colon. This does not mean smoking is good overall; it increases risks for many other diseases and can worsen outcomes if UC is already present. The other factors don’t have a proven protective effect against UC: not smoking removes the protective influence, a high-fat diet isn’t established to decrease UC risk, and regular exercise, though healthy, isn’t specifically known to lower UC incidence.