One-third with inflammatory bowel disease have moderate-to-severe disability, review finds

Moderate-to-severe disability affects nearly one-third of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a review published online in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Olga Maria Nardone, Ph.D., from University of Naples Federico II in Italy, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to assess the pooled prevalence of moderate-to-severe disability and investigate how IBD type, disease activity, geographic location, and questionnaire used influenced prevalence.

Based on 17 articles (7,897 patients in 17 countries), the researchers found that the pooled prevalence of moderate-to-severe disability in patients with IBD was 29.6% and was higher in patients with active IBD (56.9%) versus those with inactive disease (27.0%).

Disease activity more than tripled the odds of moderate-to-severe disability in three studies (odds ratio, 3.13). Moderate-to-severe disability was higher in patients with Crohn disease (36.9%) versus those with ulcerative colitis (30.8%; odds ratio, 1.26).

“This systematic review is the first, to our knowledge, to show that moderate-to-severe disability affects nearly one-third of patients with IBD, with higher rates in Crohn disease and active disease,” the authors write.

“Importantly, disability persists in a substantial proportion of patients even during remission, supporting the need for systematic assessment across clinical settings.”

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