Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease increased by 32% in 5 years"Inflammatory bowel disease can be managed well in daily life"
Nov 19, 2024
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There is no cure so far, but if you maintain a point of no symptoms, you can live a normal daily life. Therefore, it is very important to plan treatment well through consultation with experts.
Professor Kim Seong-eun of the Department of Gastroenterology at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital said, `Inflammatory bowel disease can interfere with daily life with symptoms such as chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, weight loss, fatigue, etc"It is a disease that also occurs in young patients of economic activity and childbearing age, so it is a disease that requires social attention."
Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic immune bowel disease in which intestinal tissue is attacked by the wrong reaction of the immune system, and it improves and worsens repeatedly, and when inflammatory reactions accumulate, various complications such as deformation of the intestinal structure can occur. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease are typical, and ulcerative colitis only affects the large intestine and rectum, and Crohn's disease can invade any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in Korea increased 32% from 67,441 in 2017 to 82,289 in 2021, and if this trend continues, the number of patients is expected to exceed 100,000 in 2025. In particular, the number of patients is increasing among those in their teens and 20s, and experts believe that environmental effects, especially frequent Western eating and instant food consumption, may have had an impact.
Professor Kim explained, "We are also feeling that the number of young patients is increasing at the clinic site, and the younger the patient develops, the more likely the symptoms are, and the prognosis is poor." In the case of young patients, weight loss may lead to poor growth due to poor nutrient absorption."
In mild or moderate diseases, drugs such as anti-inflammatory drugs, short-term steroids, and immunomodulators are selected and treated, and in severe diseases, biological drugs, JAK inhibitors, and S1P receptor modulators are selected and administered.
Inflammatory bowel disease, which is a rare and intractable disease according to disease classification, is a disease that is difficult to cure. However, through active and steady treatment, a stable health condition can be maintained with a remission state without inflammation. However, there is a limit to treatment that confirms symptoms and only prescribes medicine, so continuous consultation with a doctor is necessary at various times of life.
Professor Kim said, "The goal of treatment for inflammatory bowel disease is not only to alleviate symptoms, but also to make the mucous membrane healed to prevent further intestinal damage, ultimately improving the patient's quality of life.", he explained.
Even if the symptoms complained of by the patient improve, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa may remain, and if residual inflammation is not properly caught and becomes chronic or worsened repeatedly, it may eventually cause structural deformation of the intestine and resection surgery may be inevitable. On the other hand, several studies have reported that the risk of symptom recurrence is low and the long-term prognosis is good when the mucous membrane heals and reaches 'deep remission' where inflammation is not observed in endoscopy.
Professor Kim said "Continuation of chronic inflammation is also associated with increased cancer incidence, so continuous and thorough treatment and management of inflammation are important. In particular, as it is a disease that also occurs at a young age, it is important to quickly reach a controlled remission state with early active treatment after diagnosis, and lifelong constant management is required even after reaching remission.
For steady treatment, it is of paramount importance to pay close attention to patients and select a medical institution that can be managed intensively.
Professor Kim said, `In order to overcome the difficult treatment process of inflammatory bowel disease and maintain a high-quality life, it is important to meet medical staff who can comfortably talk about their concerns about the individual's special circumstances.' `Lee Daemok-dong Hospital will try to become a close helper to help patients with inflammatory bowel disease stay healthy for a long time.'
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