Ulcerative colitis epidemiology and demographics

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Usama Talib, BSc, MD [2]

## Overview

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United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia have the highest incidence of inflammatory bowel disease i.e ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.The incidence of ulcerative colitis in North America is 10-12 cases per 100,000.[1] With highest incidences in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia. Higher incidences are seen in northern locations compared to southern locations in Europe and the United States.[2]

## Epidemiology and Demographics

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The geographic distribution of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease is similar worldwide,[1] With highest incidences in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia. Higher incidences are seen in northern locations compared to southern locations in Europe and the United States.[3]As with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis is thought to occur more commonly among Ashkenazi Jewish people than non-Jewish people.

### Incidence

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The incidence of ulcerative colitis in North America is 10-12 cases per 100,000, with a peak incidence of ulcerative colitis occurring between the ages of 15 and 25. There is thought to be a bimodal distribution in age of onset, with a second peak in incidence occurring in the 6th decade of life. The disease affects females more than males.[4] The disease tends to be more common in northern areas. Although ulcerative colitis has no known cause, there is a presumed genetic component to susceptibility. The disease may be triggered in a susceptible person by environmental factors. Although dietary modification may reduce the discomfort of a person with the disease, ulcerative colitis is not thought to be caused by dietary factors. Although ulcerative colitis is treated as though it were an autoimmune disease, there is no consensus that it is such. Treatment is with anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppression (suppressing the immune system), and biological therapy targeting specific components of the immune response. Colectomy (partial or total removal of the large bowel through surgery) is occasionally necessary, and is considered to be a cure for the disease.

## References

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1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Podolsky DK. Inflammatory bowel disease. N Engl J Med 2002;347:417-424. PMID 12167685.
2. ↑ Shivananda S, Lennard-Jones J, Logan R, Fear N, Price A, Carpenter L, van Blankenstein M. Incidence of inflammatory bowel disease across Europe: is there a difference between north and south? Results of the European Collaborative Study on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (EC-IBD). Gut 1996;39:690-7. PMID 9014768.
3. ↑ Shivananda S, Lennard-Jones J, Logan R, Fear N, Price A, Carpenter L, van Blankenstein M. Incidence of inflammatory bowel disease across Europe: is there a difference between north and south? Results of the European Collaborative Study on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (EC-IBD). Gut 1996;39:690-7. PMID 9014768.
4. ↑ Hanauer SB. Inflammatory bowel disease. N Engl J Med 1996;334:841-848. PMID 8596552.

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