Also called: Colitis · Distal colitis · Pancolitis · Ulcerative proctitis
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the lining of the rectum and colon. It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease.
UC can happen at any age, but it usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30. It tends to run in families. The most common symptoms are pain in the abdomen and blood or pus in diarrhea. Other symptoms may include:
- Anemia
- Severe tiredness
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Sores on the skin
- Joint pain
- Growth failure in children
About half of people with UC have mild symptoms.
Doctors use blood tests, stool tests, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, and imaging tests to diagnose UC. Several types of drugs can help control it. Some people have long periods of remission, when they are free of symptoms. In severe cases, doctors must remove the colon.
It sits within Digestive System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Ulcerative Colitis
1,866 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Longitudinal Immunophenotyping of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
- A Study of Eltrekibart and Mirikizumab in Adult Patients With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative ColitisEli Lilly and Company
- The EDICT Trial - Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease FlaresWake Forest University Health Sciences
- A Study of Guselkumab in Participants With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative ColitisJanssen Research & Development, LLC
- The Purpose of This Study is to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of 627 in the Treatment of UCSunshine Guojian Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
- A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics (PK) of RO7837195 in Participants With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis (UC)Genentech, Inc.
Research already completed
- Assessing Interventions of Diet in IBDMcMaster University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Diagnosis and Tests
- Bacteria Culture TestNational Library of Medicine
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP) TestNational Library of Medicine
- Calprotectin Stool TestNational Library of Medicine
- Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Gastrointestinal (GI) BleedingNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Treatments and Therapies
- Colostomy - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
- Large bowel resection - SeriesMedical Encyclopedia
Living With
- Arthritis and Joint PainCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
- Bone LossCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
- Eye ComplicationsCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
- General Health MaintenanceCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
- IBD and FatigueCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
- IBD General Nutrition InformationNorth American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
- Intestinal ComplicationsCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
- Kidney DisordersCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
Related Issues
- Abscess and Fistula Expanded InformationAmerican Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
- Antibiotic-Associated DiarrheaMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Gut Troubles: Pain, Gassiness, Bloating, and MoreNational Institutes of Health
Statistics and Research
- Current Research InitiativesCrohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
- InflammationNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Facts and StatsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: ColitisNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Colitis, UlcerativeNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Inflammatory Bowel DiseasesNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Colitis, Ulcerative. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Ulcerative Colitis, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.