The increasing prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease is common, and it is becoming more common in many populations.

Dr. William Faubion Jr., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, says inflammatory bowel disease is an umbrella term that covers Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and that inflammatory bowel disease is an emerging public health problem.

"The most recent estimates would be that, depending on where you live and what region in the world you live, as many as 1 in 250, to 1 in 300 people may be affected with inflammatory bowel disease," says Dr. Faubion.

Dr. Faubion points out that inflammatory bowel disease is a combination of a complex genetic disease and an immunologic disease, as well as environmental variants or triggers.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Faubion explains that inflammatory bowel disease is very different from irritable bowel syndrome. He also describes symptoms, tests and treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, including how researchers are using artificial intelligence to determine the right medication for each patient.

To practice safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview was conducted using video conferencing. The sound and video quality are representative of the technology used. For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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Connect with others talking about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and supporting one another in the Digestive Health support group.