18 Oct With Increasing Westernization, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Becoming a Global Health Issue

Posted at 18:51h in Author Interviews, Gastrointestinal Disease, Global Health, Lancet by

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Gilaad Kaplan, MD, MPH, FRCPC Associate Professor  CIHR New Investigator & AI-HS Population Health Investigator Co-Director, Environmental Health Research Group Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases & Institute of Public Health Departments of Medicine & Community Health Sciences University of Calgary

Dr. Kaplan

Gilaad Kaplan, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Associate Professor
CIHR New Investigator & AI-HS Population Health Investigator
Co-Director, Environmental Health Research Group
Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases & Institute of Public Health
Departments of Medicine & Community Health Sciences
University of Calgary

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: The aim of the study was to provide a global perspective on the epidemiology of the inflammatory bowel diseases in the 21st century.

During the 20th century IBD was considered a disease of the Western world. At the turn of the 21st century, IBD has become a global disease with accelerating number of cases in the developing world as it transition towards a westernized society.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response: Inflammatory bowel diseases is a global disease. In the Western world, the proportion of the population that has IBD now exceeds 0.3%. With a high burden of disease, the Western world needs to innovative the delivery of care to patients with IBD. Newly industrialized countries outside the Western world are dealing with a relatively new disease, which will require their healthcare systems to improve awareness and recognition of inflammatory bowel diseases.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Our research suggests that the origin of IBD is rooted in environmental exposures associated with the westernization of society.

Future research should focus on identifying environmental risk factors of IBD, which can be targeted for modification with the aim of preventing the development of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Disclosures: This research was an international collaborative initiative led by myself in Calgary, and Dr. Siew Ng at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Worldwide incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in the 21st century: a systematic review of population-based studies

Ng, Siew C et al.

The Lancet , Volume 0 , Issue 0 ,
Published: 16 October 2017
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32448-0

 

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

 

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Last Updated on October 18, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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