This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
IBD prevalence increasing nationwide
Inflammatory bowel disease grew increasingly prevalent nationwide between 2004 and 2009, with advanced age and geographic region increasing risk, according to recent results.
Across three consecutive, cross-sectional studies, researchers identified Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) cases from a nationwide database of insurance claims made from 2004-2005, 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. Prevalence rates according to region, age and sex were determined in children aged younger than 20 years and adults.
The source populations included 5.6 million people (including 29% aged younger than 20 years) from 2004-2005, 8.1 million (28% younger than 20 years) from 2006-2007 and 12.5 million (28% younger than 20 years) from 2008-2009. Prevalence for CD within these populations was 241 per 100,000 people in adults and 58 per 100,000 in children; the UC rate was 263 per 100,000 in adults and 34 per 100,000 in children.
Based on 2009 census data, standardized prevalence estimates for CD and UC increased from 2004 to 2009. Among children, CD prevalence increased from 43 to 48 per 100,000 people, and UC prevalence rose from 27 to 29 per 100,000. In adults, CD prevalence went from 214 to 236 per 100,000 people and UC prevalence from 235 to 248 per 100,000 (P<.001 for all).
Younger insured patients were less likely to develop CD or UC, in both pediatric and adult populations, but researchers noted that prevalence stabilized between ages 30 and 50 years. An association between IBD prevalence and geographical region among children and adult populations was observed, with higher incidence of UC in the Northeast and higher rates of CD in both the Northeast and Midwest compared with the South and West. Sex was not associated with IBD prevalence for UC in the pediatric and adult populations. Females had a lower CD prevalence among children, but women had a higher CD prevalence in the adult population.
“The burden of IBD in the USA continues to increase, owing largely to the continued steady increase in prevalence for these chronic conditions,” the researchers concluded. “This up-to-date epidemiological data may be used to support disease surveillance and inform policy, including anticipating the need for clinical services by this patient population, establishing research priorities and supporting IBD advocacy efforts.”