Diverticulitis risk factors
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmed Elsaiey, MBBCH [2] James Nasr[3]
Overview
Risk factors for diverticulitis include older age, obesity, genetic predisposition, connective-tissue disorders (polycystic kidney disease, Marfan syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and use of NSAIDs, corticosteroids, and opioids.[1]
Risk Factors
Risk factors for the recurrence of diverticulitis
Recurrence of diverticulitis has been reported to occur in 20% of patients with previous episodes of diverticulitis.[2] Risk factors for diverticulitis include the following:[3][4]
- Diverticulosis itself is a risk factor for recurrence
- Multiple diverticula
- Older age
- Obesity
- Genetic predisposition
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Marfan syndrome
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Hypertension
- Family history of diverticulitis
- Having a large portion of infected colon
- NSAIDs
- Corticosteroids
- Opioids
References
- ↑ Peery AF, Wilson GC, Crockett SD. Diverticulitis: A Review. JAMA. 2025;333(2):158-168. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.23427.
- ↑ Peery AF (2016). “Recent Advances in Diverticular Disease”. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 18 (7): 37. doi:10.1007/s11894-016-0513-1. PMID 27241190.
- ↑ Levy MJ, Osterkamp RL, Glauninger K, Strate LL. Diverticulosis morphology is associated with risk of diverticulitis. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Apr 1;36(4):382-386. doi: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000002717. Epub 2024 Feb 28. PMID: 38417057; PMCID: PMC10914328.
- ↑ Peery AF, Shaukat A, Strate LL. AGA Clinical Practice Update on Medical Management of Colonic Diverticulitis: Expert Review. Gastroenterology. 2021 Feb;160(3):906-911.e1. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.09.059. Epub 2020 Dec 3. PMID: 33279517; PMCID: PMC7878331.
© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH