Description: People whose blood relatives have the joint disease ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are at increased risk not just for AS, but for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well, an Icelandic study shows.

Looking at data from six generations of Icelanders, the researchers discovered a familial link between IBD and AS, an inflammatory disease that primarily affects the spine.

People with AS often suffer from chronic bowel disease and gastrointestinal distress, and both AS and IBD are known to run in families. However, prior to this study, no link had been identified between the two conditions.

According to the researchers, Icelanders provide an ideal study population, because the environmental and lifestyle factors are the same throughout the country. Iceland also maintains an extensive genealogical registry, as well as a half century of records on both AS and IBD sufferers, providing a mine of data for researchers.

Researchers at Landspitali Univer