Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the large intestine, also

called the colon. The disease usually causes diarrhea, blood in the stool, and abdominal pain, and
can also lead to nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, and anemia.

Genetic factors play a role in who develops ulcerative colitis; indeed, the most firmly established risk
factor is a family history of UC. Approximately 10 percent of patients with ulcerative colitis have a
first-degree relative with the illness, with approximately an 8-fold increased risk of the disease
compared to those without a UC family history. Jewish ancestry from middle and Eastern Europe
(Ashkenazi Jews, the majority of Jews in the United States) heritage increases the risk of UC, but
rates among Jews vary from country to country. The prevalence of UC is higher among people born
in Europe or North America than for those born in Asia or Africa, suggesting that environmental
factors also play a role. People with a family history of the other major chronic intestinal
inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, have a three-fold greater risk of developing UC.