Rates of bowel disease in Denmark continue to rise

New research indicates that the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease—including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD)—in Denmark is on the rise and is among the highest in the world.

Between 1980 and 2013, the incidence of UC increased by over 70% to around 19 per 100,000 people per year. Similarly, the incidence of CD increased by 75% to around 9 per 100,000 people per year. The increase in the incidence of CD was greatest in children under age 15. The increases in UC and CD were seen in both men and women, but were steeper in women.

The continued rise in incidence of these conditions revealed in the Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics study should prompt further research into their causes.