Until we reach “prevalence equilibrium”, even small increases in incidence eventually result in higher prevalence
When I attended medical school in the 1980s, we were taught that ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease were conditions seen in white people in highly developed regions such as northern Europe, the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth nations, and North America. Over the past four decades, the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) across geographic regions and ethnic groups has risen sharply.1 The global burden of IBD, which can substantially reduce quality of life, is clearly increasing.2 Patients with IBD often require expensive medications or procedures,3 have higher rates of anxiety and depression,4 and are more likely to have disabilities.5
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I have provided consultation services to AbbVie, Amgen, Allergan, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol‐Myers Squibb, Celgene, Celltrion Healthcare, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Gilead, Iterative Scopes, Janssen, Ono Pharma, Pfizer, Takeda, and UCB. I have received research support from AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol‐Myers Squibb, Celgene, Genentech, Gilead, Janssen, Pfizer, Receptos, Robarts Clinical Trials, Takeda, and UCB. I am a shareholder in Exact Sciences.