The changing epidemiology of IBD

A new study reports on the changing burden of IBD, with accelerating incidence in newly industrialized countries and a high burden in Western countries, although the incidence is stabilizing and even decreasing in some of these regions. This new systematic review examined population-based studies published from 1990 to 2016 that reported the incidence or prevalence of either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, including 147 studies in the systematic review. The highest reported prevalence of IBD was in Europe and North America, with prevalence exceeding 0.3% in North America, Oceania and many European countries. Since 1990, the incidence in newly industrialized countries (in Africa, Asia and South America) has been increasing.