title: Diverticular disease of the colon--on the rise: a study of hospital admissions in England between 1989/1990 and 1999/2000.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diverticular disease emerged as a common problem in Western countries over the course of the 20th century.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the time trends in diverticular disease for hospital admissions in England between 1989/1990 and 1999/2000 and population mortality rates from 1979 to 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital Episode Statistics were obtained from the Department of Health and mortality data from the Office for National Statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1989/1990 and 1999/2000, annual age-standardized hospital admission rates for diverticular disease increased by 16% for males (from 20.1 to 23.2 per 100,000) and 12% for females (from 28.6 to 31.9 per 100,000). Female rates were significantly higher than male rates throughout the study period. The proportions of admissions with an operation increased by 16% for males (from 22.9% to 24.1%) and 14% for females (from 19.7% to 22.3%). Older patients were less likely to undergo operation than younger patients. In-patient case fatality rates and population mortality rates remained unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Admission rates for diverticular disease increased over the study period. The proportion of patients who underwent operation increased, but in-patient and population mortality rates remained unchanged. With an ageing population, diverticular disease will become an increasingly important clinical problem in England.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, St George's Hospital, London, UK. jykang@sghms.ac.uk
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoare
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tinto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majeed
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Melville
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Maxwell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution