Several environmental risk factors may contribute to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a recent review of the medical literature that recommended a systems biology approach to understanding the disease. Researchers found:

• Changes in gut microbiota have been linked to IBD and have been closely associated with either the start of the disease or its progression.
• Other potential risk factors include breastfeeding, exposure to antibiotics, and later childhood events.
• There is also evidence to suggest a role for air pollution in the etiology of IBD because pollution contributes a long list of compounds that can alter a person’s mucosal lining and trigger an immune response.
• The hypoxia that occurs at high altitudes is also being considered as a potential contributor to IBD by triggering flare-ups.