title: Inflammatory bowel disease in the elderly.
abstract: Although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is generally considered a disease of young adults, it can occur in elderly individuals. The clinical features and treatment considerations in older patients are similar to those in younger patients, with some notable exceptions, which are reviewed in this article. Consideration of appropriate differential diagnoses is critical in older IBD patients to achieve the correct diagnosis and appropriate therapy. The risks associated with use of some IBD medications may be increased in older patients, but so is the risk of under-treated IBD and surgery. Therefore, in older IBD patients, as in younger patients, a thorough understanding of the indications, contraindications, and potential adverse effects of the various medications used to treat the condition is essential.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Syed Wasif
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Darrell S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pardi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents