digestive disorders
Diverticulosis of the Large Intestine
Causes of Diverticulosis of the Large Intestine
The cause of diverticulosis is unknown but may be related to a diet low in fiber or high in red meat, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and smoking and use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), Diverticula are thought to be caused by spasms of the muscular layer of the intestine. The resulting pressure that these spasms exert on the intestinal wall causes a part of the wall to bulge at a point of weakness, usually near to where an artery penetrates the muscular layer of the large intestine. An increase in the thickness of the muscular layer is a common finding in the sigmoid colon of people with diverticulosis. The cause of a giant diverticulum is unclear. 