Open AccessHow to manage IBD in the ‘elderly’
Author(s) -
Jonathan Segal,
Hein Htet,
Jimmy K. Limdi,
Bu’Hussain Hayee
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
frontline gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.919
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 2041-4145
pISSN - 2041-4137
DOI - 10.1136/flgastro-2019-101218
Subject(s) - medicine , polypharmacy , intensive care medicine , disease , inflammatory bowel disease , epidemiology , incidence (geometry) , older people , population , multimorbidity , pediatrics , gerontology , chronic disease , environmental health , pathology , physics , optics
As the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) rises and the global population ages, the number of older people living with these conditions will inevitably increase. The challenges posed by comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, the unintended consequences of long-term treatment and the real but often underestimated mismatch between chronological and biological ages underpin management. Significantly, there may be differences in disease characteristics, presentation and management of an older patient with IBD, together with other unique challenges. Importantly, clinical trials often exclude older patients, so treatment decisions are frequently pragmatic, extrapolated from a number of sources of evidence and perhaps primarily dictated by concerns around adverse effects. This review aimed to discuss the epidemiology, clinical features and considerations with management in older patients with IBD.