A few statistics about IBD

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Dear Members,

 

Following is the contents of that page, the link for which was posted

here a few days ago.

 

As can be seen, it affects young people and elders. Though diet is

not a cause as per this study, diet plays a major role in recovery.

Less refined foods and more fiber is generally recommended. More

specific recommnedations include homeopathy, and Bach Flower Remedies

for the individual's emotional and physical symptoms. That is better

done through a personal consultation.

 

Sai Ram.

 

Swamy

 

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Facts About the Epidemiology of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD)

Epidemiology is the study of the frequency and distribution of

diseases in the population.

 

It is estimated that up to one million Americans suffer from Crohn's

disease or ulcerative colitis (collectively known as inflammatory

bowel diseases, or IBD). The search for risk factors in IBD has been

frustrating, and the difficulty in diagnosing these diseases has been

a further hindrance. However, epidemiologists have gathered enough

information to know a good deal about the distribution of IBD in the

United States and Western Europe. Current evidence suggests that both

genetic and environmental factors contribute to these diseases.

 

Genetics

In 2001, Nod2, the first gene linked to Crohn's disease, was

discovered. This breakthrough was funded in part by a CCFA research

grant. Most researchers agree that there is a strong genetic

component in IBD. If a person has a relative with the disease,

his/her risk is estimated to be at least 10 times that of the general

population -- 30 times greater if the relative is a sibling. New

technologies, including a genome-wide search, are helping researchers

to close in on the genes that predispose people to IBD.

 

Race and Ethnicity

American Jews of European descent are four to five times more likely

to develop IBD than the general population.

IBD has long been considered a predominantly white disease. The

prevalence rate among whites is 149 per 100,000. Among African

Americans, however, there has been a steady increase in reported

cases of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. An HMO with two

million members reported hospitalization rates per 100,000 by race,

over a six-year period, as:

 

 

10.2 - Whites

10.2 - African Americans

 

According to this study, prevalence rates among Hispanics and Asians

were lower than those for whites and African Americans.

Gender

The incidence of IBD does not appear to be significantly different

between men and women.

 

Age

IBD can begin at any age, but adolescents and young adults between

the ages of 15 and 35 are most susceptible.

 

 

Ten percent, or an estimated 100,000, of those afflicted are

youngsters under the age of 18.

 

 

After age 50, there is a smaller second wave of new cases.

Environment

For reasons not yet known, IBD is largely a disease of the developed

world (principally, the U.S. and Europe). Similarly, Crohn's disease

and ulcerative colitis are reported to be more common in urban than

in rural areas, and in northern than in southern climates. Frequency

of disease increases when populations move from underdeveloped to

developed countries, and vice versa.

 

Diet

There is no known link between eating certain kinds of foods and

getting IBD, but dietary modifications, especially during severe

flare-ups, can help reduce disease symptoms and replace lost

nutrients.