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Review
. 2021 Feb;62(2):99-108.
doi: 10.3349/ymj.2021.62.2.99.

Incidence and Prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease across Asia

Jihye Park  1   2 , Jae Hee Cheon  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Incidence and Prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease across Asia

Jihye Park et al. Yonsei Med J. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract caused by interactions between genetic, environmental, immunological, and microbial factors. While the incidence and prevalence of IBD in Asian populations were relatively lower than those in Western countries, they appear to be gradually increasing. A Westernized diet, high socioeconomic status, improvement of hygiene, and development of vaccination could affect the increases in IBD incidence and prevalence in Asian countries. This review describes the latest trends in the incidence and prevalence of IBD in Asia. Studying the epidemiology of IBD in Asia may unravel the etiopathogenesis of and risk factors for IBD.

Keywords: Crohn's disease; Inflammatory bowel disease; incidence; prevalence; ulcerative colitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Incidence and prevalence rate of inflammatory bowel disease in Asian countries. (A) Incidence rate (per 100000 population) and (B) prevalence rate (per 100000 population) of ulcerative colitis in the 21st century. (C) Incidence rate (per 100000 population) and (D) prevalence rate (per 100000 population) of Crohn's disease in the 21st century. The gray zone reflects the absence of data.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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