Complications of Diverticulosis, Frequency, and Risk Factors: Results from a Large Database with Long-term Follow-up

Aims Diverticulosis of the Colon (DC) is a common finding in colonoscopies. We aimed to investigate the differences between complicated DC (CDC) and uncomplicated DC (UDC) and to explore the risk factors for CDC.

Methods We analyzed data from a cohort of 149,094 patients, including 123,024 UDC patients and 26,070 CDC patients. Demographics, comorbidities, and clinical outcomes were compared.

Results Patients with CDC were significantly younger (64.3±15 years vs. 67.5±12.7 years), 55.6% vs. 53.2% females, and 8.9% vs. 8.0% Arab ethnicity. Smoking was more prevalent in the CDC group (28.2% vs. 26.1%). Diabetes Mellitus and obesity were less prevalent in the CDC group. Treatment with statins (29.2% vs. 40.4%) was also less commonly used in the CDC group. In the multivariate analysis, female gender and smoking were found to be risk factors for CDC (OR 1.215 and OR 1.150, p<0.001, respectively). Age, Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, Acetylsalicylic Acid, and statin treatment were found to be protective from complications.

Conclusions Patients with complicated diverticulosis tend to be younger, females and smokers and those with uncomplicated diverticulosis seem to be protected by specific diseases. Understanding these differences may help guide risk stratification and improve management strategies for diverticulosis.

Publication History

Article published online:
27 March 2025