Edinburgh has among the world’s highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease, a study has found.
One in 125 people in the capital has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis – and the figure is predicted to rise to one in 98 by 2028.
The University of Edinburgh study, published in scientific journal Gut, found Crohn’s affects 284 people out of every 100,000 in the city. The world’s highest rate is 322 in 100,000 in Hesse, Germany.
Ulcerative colitis affects 432 people out of every 100,000 in Edinburgh – second only to south-east Norway, where it affects 505 in every 100,000.
Dr Charlie Lees, a consultant gastro-enterologist in the Edinburgh IBD Unit, added: “There is no doubt IBD is now becoming a global pandemic. This study provides much-needed data and can act as a launchpad for pivotal new studies to help patients.”
One such study has been announced by the University of Glasgow, which has received £900,000 of funding to trial a new solid food based diet approach to tackle Crohn’s.
