The team used artificial intelligence to analyze de-identified medical records for 30,334 Albertans living with inflammatory bowel disease over a 20-year period, recently publishing their findings in npj Digital Medicine.

They report that 57% of patients have at least one other associated autoimmune disorder or manifestation of disease beyond the gut. Mental and musculoskeletal disorders are the most common, but they also found elevated incidences of dermatological and respiratory conditions, disorders of the genitals and urinary system, and cardiovascular disease.

Using a new approach known as “network medicine,” the team created interactive tools to visualize the occurrence, frequency, sequence and clustering of the associated disorders as an aid for diagnosing and treating conditions that may otherwise be overlooked.