Japan's PM Shinzo Abe battles colon disease even as speculation about his health grows
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Fuelling speculation
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a Tokyo hospital on Monday for the second time within days, fanning further speculation about the state of his health, reports Reuters.
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Long suffering
Abe suffers from chronic ulcerative colitis and has spoken of struggling with it since junior high school. A flare-up in 2007 forced him to quit as prime minister. Officials have declined to comment in detail on Abe's health, saying only that Monday's visit was connected to last week's check, itself a follow-up to a physical exam in June.
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The nature of the disease
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause ulcers in the lining of the colon and rectum. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, weight loss and fatigue.
The cause is unknown, but both heredity and immune system malfunctions, in which the immune system attacks cells in the digestive tract, are believed to play a role. Diet and stress can aggravate the condition.
In the image: Members of the media wait at Keio University Hospital on August 17, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was admitted to Keio University Hospital today amid concerns about his health.
The cause is unknown, but both heredity and immune system malfunctions, in which the immune system attacks cells in the digestive tract, are believed to play a role. Diet and stress can aggravate the condition.
In the image: Members of the media wait at Keio University Hospital on August 17, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was admitted to Keio University Hospital today amid concerns about his health.
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Treating it
Ulcerative colitis is incurable. While moderate to severe cases are treated with corticosteroids, this is not a long-term treatment as side effects can include bone loss, high blood pressure and weight gain.
In the image: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gets into a car as he leaves from Keio University Hospital in Tokyo
In the image: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gets into a car as he leaves from Keio University Hospital in Tokyo
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Impact on everyday life
Impact on everyday lifeups, which can be caused by stress. In 2017, Abe said his treatment was fuelling his appetite, adding, "I now must worry about issues I once thought were completely unrelated to me, including gaining visceral fat, worrying about body fat, and my cholesterol level. I hit the upper limits on tests for each of these issues."