title: Epidemiology and the natural course of inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract that are distributed unevenly within populations and throughout the world. Although the exact causes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain unknown, study of the epidemiology of IBD has provided insight into pathogenesis. This article examines the geographic, ethnic, and other trends of IBD; risk factors (including genetic and environmental); and the natural history of IBD.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Unit (Medical Services), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000453:epidemiology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data