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A class of blood pressure medications may improve a widely used treatment for ulcerative colitis, the most common type of inflammatory bowel disease, suggests a new study, led by Northwestern Medicine and Kiel University in Germany, of thousands of patients with the disease.

The study found that those taking the blood pressure meds for hypertension alongside the ulcerative colitis drug vedolizumab (brand name Entyvio) were less likely to experience serious complications resulting in hospitalization and surgery to remove the colon.

Ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition that causes inflammation and sores in the colon, affects over 1 million people in the U.S. and often begins in adolescence or young adulthood. Despite the emergence of advanced and expensive therapies, such as vedolizumab, most patients with ulcerative colitis do not achieve lasting remission with available treatments.

"You're talking about teens or young adults who are suffering from uncontrollable diarrhea, bloody stool and an inability to function at school, work, or go out and have normal social interactions," said study senior author Dr. Parambir Dulai, associate professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

"And the psychosocial and physical impact of the disease is substantial, to the point where it may be on par with cancer in terms of the impact," Dulai added.

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