Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis show different patterns of incidence by race, gender and even place of birth
Both diseases are categorized as inflammatory bowel disorders (IBDs), which are disorders that cause the gastrointestinal system to become chronically inflamed. According to patient demographics, the latest research from Rutgers University and other institutions has discovered that IBDs differ greatly.
IBD has traditionally been a disease that mostly affected Caucasian populations in Europe and North America, but since it is now present in people of all races and places, it is crucial to understand how it presents in various communities, according to study senior author Lea Ann Chen. She teaches medicine and pharmacology as an assistant professor at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
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Reports
Chen’s team analyzed the medical records of 525 patients who underwent treatment for an IBD at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital between 1997 and 2017. Bellevue is a “safety net” hospital, where most patients are of similar income, the researchers noted. The patients were racially diverse, however: 29.8% were white, 27.4% were Hispanic, 21.7% were black, and 13% were Asian.
That diversity was mirrored in the patient profiles for both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
Using white patients for comparison purposes, Chen’s team found that:
- Among Asian patients, men were twice as likely to have an IBD as women, regardless of whether they’d been born in the United States or abroad.
- Black patients were more than twice as likely to require a resection (surgical removal) of part of their intestine compared to white patients.
- Crohn’s diagnoses were more likely among black patients born in the United States, whereas colitis was more likely among black patients born abroad.
- Symptoms of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s tended to be milder if the patient had not been born in the United States, regardless of their race. These patients typically were diagnosed later in life, required fewer surgeries and medications, and had fewer complications compared to native-born Americans.
The last finding was “particularly true among black patients,” Chen noted in a Rutgers news release. “Those who were born here were far more likely to develop Crohn’s disease and its complications compared to those who were born abroad.”
Other cases
In other cases, genes may have played a role. For example, “the difference in case numbers between Asian men and women was striking, and that difference appeared both among U.S.-born and foreign-born patients,” Chen noted. “It appears that East Asian women—because most of the Asian patients in our study population were East Asian—may have some sort of genetic protection against IBD.”
Frequently asked question
What is IBD?
The term “inflammatory bowel disease,” or IBD, is a catch-all for conditions that result in persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. IBD comes in two main forms: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Overview of Crohn’s Disease
A long-term inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal system is called Crohn’s disease. You and your loved ones can better manage the uncertainty that accompanies a new diagnosis if you and they understand Crohn’s disease.
Who is affected?
- Nearly 1 in 100 Americans is diagnosed with IBD. Men and women are equally likely to be affected by Crohn’s disease.
- The disease can occur at any age, but Crohn’s disease is most often diagnosed in adolescents and adults between the ages of 20 and 30.
- Studies have shown that between 1.5 percent and 28 percent of people with IBD have a first-degree relative, such as a parent, child, or sibling, who also has one of the diseases.
- Even though there is a genetic component associated with an increased risk of IBD, it is impossible to predict who may get Crohn’s disease based on family history.
- Crohn’s disease can affect people from all ethnic backgrounds. The disease is more common in Caucasians, though the rates of Crohn’s disease have increased among Hispanics and Asians in recent years.
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Disclaimer: The opinions and suggestions expressed in this article are solely those of the individual analysts. These are not the opinions of HNN. For more, please consult with your doctor
