Characteristics and Behavior of Elderly-onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multi-center US Study

Artificial Intelligence as a Tool in Diagnosing Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Older Adults

Background/Objectives: The primary objective of our study was to find a potential use for images generated by imagistic investigations by comparing the appearance of a healthy digestive tract to that of a pathological one. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study involving 60 older adult patients admitted to and followed up at a primary center in Romania. Our focus was on different diagnostic methods and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools integrated into the electronic health records system. Results: Currently, imagery, laboratory values and electronic health records (EHR) can also be used to train AI models. Comparative imagery to predict the appearance of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be used as a predictor model. Conclusions: Our findings indicate with certainty that training a tool in the diagnosis and prevention of relapses in older adults with IBD is promising for further integrating these models into patient care.

Serving Those Who Served: Enhancing Colorectal Surgery Care for Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest provider of integrated health care services in the United States and its mission is to honor veterans by providing timely, effective, and high-quality health care that improves individuals' health and functionality. The VA provides comprehensive primary and specialty care, including colorectal surgery services, to eligible veterans who suffer from a disproportionately high burden of medical comorbidities and often belong to vulnerable populations, including individuals of low socioeconomic status, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning, racial minorities, and those suffering from severe mental health illness. There are many challenges to caring for a population of veterans with benign and malignant colorectal disease due to both patient and system level factors. Despite these challenges, the VA has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring culturally competent, equitable, and inclusive care and to conducting research that establishes evidence-based best practices in the management of colorectal diseases. These efforts have led to outcomes for patients undergoing care for colorectal diseases within the VA that are par with or better than civilian outcomes. The VA is uniquely positioned on a system level to provide nationwide efforts that improve care delivery and serve those who served.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment of Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients with IBD in Shanghai, China

Aim

In order to better understand the incidence of IBD in China, we conducted a retrospective study to analyze the clinical information of IBD patients in Shanghai, China.

Methods

From January 2014 to December 2021, patients diagnosed with IBD and hospitalized were enrolled. The demographic, clinical features, symptoms, laboratory tests and treatment data of the patients were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

This study included 454 patients with UC and 333 patients with CD. The rate of hospitalization for IBD showed an escalating trend throughout the period, the number of hospitalizations was significantly higher in CD patients than in UC patients. The male patients had more complications than the female patients (p < 0.05). Definitive diagnosis of IBD in older patients was difficult (p < 0.05), and misdiagnosis was common. The incidence of complications and extraintestinal manifestations in elderly IBD patients was lower, but the incidence of intestinal obstruction was higher (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the disease activity grades of IBD and fibrinogen, hemoglobin, albumin. Elderly IBD patients presented with lower rates of immunosuppressant, biologics, surgery or enteral nutrition.

Conclusion

This study analyzed the incidence, characteristics and treatment of IBD patients in Shanghai, and provided evidence-based evidence for doctors to more effectively diagnose and treat IBD in the future.

Epidemiology and clinical course of late onset inflammatory bowel disease

With the increasing age of the general population in developed countries, the management of several chronic diseases becomes more and more complex due to comorbidities. Some, especially inflammatory bowel diseases, formerly believed to belong to the young adult population, have now been recognized as being present at disease onset also in the ageing population, representing medical challenges different from those in the younger population. In the past few years, knowledge on this special older population has increased, changing initial beliefs concerning epidemiology and course of disease. In the present review, we addressed the most recent evidence concerning their current incidence compared with other age groups, their clinical course, potential risk factors for the development of late-onset IBDs, associated diseases, and cancer risk beyond therapy-related neoplasias.

Safety and Effectiveness of Vedolizumab and Ustekinumab in Elderly Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Real-Life Multicentric Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Data on ustekinumab and vedolizumab in the elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population are limited. The aim of the current study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of both in an elderly real-life population.

METHODS

A multicentric retrospective study was performed on IBD patients who started vedolizumab or ustekinumab between 2010 and 2020. Clinical and endoscopic remission rates and (serious) adverse events (AE) were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 911 IBD patients were included, with 171 (19%) aged above 60 (111 VDZ, 60 UST). Elderly patients treated with vedolizumab or ustekinumab had an increased risk for non-IBD hospitalization (10.5% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.021) and malignancy (2.3% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.045) compared to the younger population. Corticosteroid-free clinical (50% vs. 44%; p = 0.201) and endoscopic remission rates (47.9% vs. 31%, p = 0.07) at 1 year were similar. Comparing vedolizumab to ustekinumab in the elderly population, corticosteroid-free (47.9% vs. 31%, p = 0.061) and endoscopic remission rates (66.7% vs. 64.4%, p = 0.981) were similar. Vedolizumab- and ustekinumab-treated patients had comparable infection rates (13.5% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.504), IBD flare-ups (4.5% vs. 5%, p = 1.000), the occurrence of new EIMs (13.5% vs. 10%, p = 0.504), a risk of intestinal surgery (5.4% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.742), malignancy (1.8% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.613), hospitalization (9.9% vs. 11.7%, p = 0.721), and mortality (0.9% vs. 1.7%, p = 1.000). AE risk was associated only with corticosteroid use.

CONCLUSIONS

Ustekinumab and vedolizumab show comparable effectiveness and safety in the elderly IBD population. Elderly IBD patients have an increased risk for non-IBD hospitalizations and malignancy compared to the younger IBD population, with corticosteroid use as the main risk factor.

Comparison of Disease Phenotype and Course among Elderly- and Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in the Middle East

BACKGROUND

It is unknown if the clinical manifestations and phenotype of disease are comparable between early- and elderly-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to seek differences in disease phenotype, course, complications, and treatment between early- and elderly-onset IBD patients.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study on registered IBD patients in the Iranian Registry of Crohn's and Colitis (IRCC) compared demographics, disease phenotype, disease activity, IBD-related surgery and medications between early- and elderly-onset IBD. A generalized linear regression model was used to investigate the relative risk of age at diagnosis adjusted for gender and disease duration for the outcomes.

RESULTS

From 10048 IBD patients, 749 with early-onset (7.5%), and 472 (4.7%) elderly-onset IBD were enrolled: 855 (63.1%) ulcerative colitis (UC) and 366 (26.9%) Crohn's disease (CD). Left-sided colitis was more frequent among elderly-onset UC patients (P<0.001). Ileum and ileocolonic locations were the most common types in elderly-onset and early-onset CD patients, respectively. In comparison with elderly-onset UC, early-onset cases more often used prednisolone (22.1% vs. 11.4%, P=0.001), immunomodulators (44.9% vs 25.2%, P<0.001) and anti-tumor necrosis factors (TNF) (20.1% vs 11.9%, P=0.002). Elderly-onset UC patients had 0.7 times lower risk of aggressive phenotype (95%CI:0.6‒0.9, P=0.005). Early-onset CD was associated with higher use of prednisolone (27.7% vs 8.1%, P<0.001), immunomodulators (58.7% vs 41.8%, P=0.005) and anti-TNF (49.6% vs 35.4%, P=0.006).

CONCLUSION

Early-onset IBD was associated with a more aggressive phenotype and higher prednisolone, immunomodulators, and anti-TNF use.

Inflammatory bowel disease in the elderly: A focus on disease characteristics and treatment patterns

Background

As the population ages, the number of elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is expected to increase. The clinical features and therapeutic options for young and old patients may differ, as elderly IBD patients are likely to have different comorbidities and disease characteristics. The goal of this study was to examine the clinical aspects and therapeutic choices for elderly Saudi IBD patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study aimed at describing the demographic, clinical, and management characteristics of IBD in elderly patients (≥60 years) who followed up at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The data was extracted from the KAUH inflammatory bowel disease information system (IBDIS) registry. The primary outcome was to describe disease characteristics in accordance with the Montréal classification and the secondary outcomes were to describe treatment patterns and identify significant clinical associations.

Results

Our data were collected from 76 patients who fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Females outnumbered males (53.9% vs 46.1%) and the mean age was 51.5 ± 9.7 years. Essential hypertension (26.3%) was the most common comorbidity followed by diabetes mellitus (23.6%), and malignant neoplasms (9.21%). More than half of the patients with Crohn's disease (CD) had disease onset after forty years of age. The most common form of disease distribution was ileocolonic disease (64.7%). Less than 17% of patients had a penetrating disease phenotype. About 88 percent of patients with UC presented >40 years of age. Approximately, half of the cohort had left-sided ulcerative colitis (UC) (48%), followed by pancolitis (40%). The most prescribed medication class for IBD was 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) derivatives (56.58%) followed by corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs.

Conclusions

In Saudi Arabia, age-specific concerns including comorbidities and polypharmacy remain the major challenges in the management of elderly IBD patients.

Ulcerative Colitis in Adulthood and in Older Patients: Same Disease, Same Outcome, Same Risks?

The number of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) approaching an older age, together with the number of over-60-year-old patients newly diagnosed with IBD, is steadily increasing, reaching 25% of all patients. The present review focuses on late-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) and its initial disease course in comparison with that observed in younger adults in terms of extension at onset and the risk of proximal disease progression, medical treatment, surgery and hospitalization in the first years after diagnosis. We summarize the clues pointing to a milder disease course in a population which frequently presents major frailty due to comorbidities. With increasing age and thus increasing comorbidities, medical and surgical therapies frequently represent a challenge for treating physicians. The response, persistence, and risks of adverse events of conventional therapies indicated for late onset/older UC patients are examined, emphasizing the risks in this particular population, who are still being treated with prolonged corticosteroid therapy. Finally, we concentrate on data on biotechnological agents for which older patients were mostly excluded from pivotal trials. Real-life data from newer agents such as vedolizumab and ustekinumab show encouraging efficacy and safety profiles in the population of older UC patients.

The Incidence Rate and Risk Factors of Malignancy in Elderly-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Chinese Cohort Study From 1998 to 2020

Background

Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of cancer. However, the risk of malignancy in patients with elderly-onset IBD (≥60 years) remains controversial. Hence, we aimed to identify and compare the dissimilarities in morbidity and related risk factors between patients with elderly-onset and adult-onset (18–59 years) IBD in a Chinese cohort.

Methods

Patients with confirmed IBD, diagnosed at age ≥18 years, between January 1998 and December 2020 at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled. The yearly incidence rates (IRs) for cancer were calculated, and the characteristics were analyzed in these patients.

Results

A total of 1,480 patients suffering from adult-onset IBD and 129 patients suffering from elderly-onset IBD with a median follow-up period of 4.9 years and 4.8 years, respectively, were included. Patients in the elderly-onset IBD group demonstrated an increased overall incidence of cancer than that demonstrated by patients in the adult-onset group (IR 26.9 versus 9.51, respectively, per 1,000 person-years; relative risk [RR], 2.83). Colorectal cancer was the most common malignancy in the two groups, and patients suffering from elderly-onset IBD demonstrated a higher incidence of the malignancy (IR, 7.07 versus 3.34, respectively, per 1,000 person-years; RR, 2.12). Among the extraintestinal cancers, hematological malignancies and urinary tract cancers (including renal and urinary bladder carcinoma) were common in the elderly-onset group (IR, 4.24 and 4.24 per 1,000 person-years, respectively), whereas thyroid cancer was more common in the adult-onset group (IR, 1.36 per 1,000 person-years). Analysis of clinical characteristics revealed that patients with elderly-onset IBD who developed cancer were more likely to have diabetes and urinary lithiasis (p = 0.041 and 0.035, respectively). In addition, patients in the elderly-onset group had a shorter course from IBD to cancer, less exposure to immunosuppressants, less extraintestinal manifestations, and higher cancer-related mortality. Cox proportional risk regression analysis in the elderly-onset IBD group revealed that diabetes was an independent risk factor for the progression to cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 12.53 [2.379–65.994], P = 0.003).

Conclusion

The risk of malignancy in patients suffering from elderly-onset IBD increased significantly as compared with those with adult-onset disease. Therefore, cancer monitoring should be initiated earlier for patients in the elderly-onset group.

Clinical characteristics of ulcerative colitis in elderly patients

The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) in elderly patients is increasing. Elderly UC patients are likely to exhibit distinct features both at diagnosis and during follow-up. Age-related problems, including complications, immune dysfunction, and multidrug use, make the diagnosis and treatment of elderly UC more challenging. Suboptimal treatment considering adverse events leads to poor clinical outcome in elderly UC patients. Here, we reviewed the epidemiology, clinical presentation, medical therapy, colorectal cancer surveillance of UC in elderly patients.

Prognostic biomarkers to identify patients likely to develop severe Crohn's disease: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Identification of biomarkers that predict severe Crohn's disease is an urgent unmet research need, but existing research is piecemeal and haphazard.

OBJECTIVE

To identify biomarkers that are potentially able to predict the development of subsequent severe Crohn's disease.

DESIGN

This was a prognostic systematic review with meta-analysis reserved for those potential predictors with sufficient existing research (defined as five or more primary studies).

DATA SOURCES

PubMed and EMBASE searched from inception to 1 January 2016, updated to 1 January 2018.

REVIEW METHODS

Eligible studies were studies that compared biomarkers in patients who did or did not subsequently develop severe Crohn's disease. We excluded biomarkers that had insufficient research evidence. A clinician and two statisticians independently extracted data relating to predictors, severe disease definitions, event numbers and outcomes, including odds/hazard ratios. We assessed risk of bias. We searched for associations with subsequent severe disease rather than precise estimates of strength. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed separately for odds ratios.

RESULTS

In total, 29,950 abstracts yielded just 71 individual studies, reporting 56 non-overlapping cohorts. Five clinical biomarkers (Montreal behaviour, age, disease duration, disease location and smoking), two serological biomarkers (anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies and anti-flagellin antibodies) and one genetic biomarker (nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain-containing protein 2) displayed statistically significant prognostic potential. Overall, the strongest association with subsequent severe disease was identified for Montreal B2 and B3 categories (odds ratio 4.09 and 6.25, respectively).

LIMITATIONS

Definitions of severe disease varied widely, and some studies confounded diagnosis and prognosis. Risk of bias was rated as 'high' in 92% of studies overall. Some biomarkers that are used regularly in daily practice, for example C-reactive protein, were studied too infrequently for meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Research for individual biomarkers to predict severe Crohn's disease is scant, heterogeneous and at a high risk of bias. Despite a large amount of potential research, we encountered relatively few biomarkers with data sufficient for meta-analysis, identifying only eight biomarkers with potential predictive capability.

FUTURE WORK

We will use existing data sets to develop and then validate a predictive model based on the potential predictors identified by this systematic review. Contingent on the outcome of that research, a prospective external validation may prove clinically desirable.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016029363.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 45. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

[Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Elderly Patients - What Are Different and What Should We Know?]

As the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are increasing with an ageing population, the incidence and prevalence of IBD in the elderly continue to increase. Older IBD patients can be classified into two groups; elderly-onset IBD patients and elderly IBD patients who were diagnosed at a young age and transitioning into advanced age. Clinicians must consider elderly-onset specific phenotypes or prognosis and age-related concerns in the treatment of elderly IBD patients. There is a paucity of evidence whether there is a different disease process when IBD occurs in older age yet. Clinicians may expect similar therapeutic effects in older and younger patients in drug selection, but since older patients are often excluded from clinical trials, evidence to support this assumption is currently lacking. Also, the risk of side effects may be higher in elderly patients. Therefore, when making management decisions in the elderly, clinicians should assess an individual's frailty rather than only considering an individual's chronological and biological age. Knowing specific requirements for managing older IBD patients may help to make an appropriate therapeutic strategy for this patient group.

Natural History of Perianal Fistulising Lesions in Patients With Elderly-onset Crohn's Disease: A Population-based Study

INTRODUCTION

Most studies of elderly-onset Crohn's disease [CD; diagnosed in patients aged 60 or over] have described a mild course. However, data on the natural history of perianal fistulising CD [pfCD] in this population are scarce. In a population-based cohort study, we described the prevalence, natural history, and treatment of pfCD in patients with elderly-onset CD vs patients with paediatric-onset CD.

METHOD

All patients diagnosed with CD at or after the age of 60 between 1988 and 2006, were included [n = 372]. Logistic regression, Cox models, and a nested case-control method were used to identify factors associated with pfCD.

RESULTS

A total of 34 elderly patients [9% of the 372] had pfCD at diagnosis. After a median follow-up of 6 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 3; 10), 59 patients [16%] had pfCD; the same prevalence [16%] was observed in paediatric-onset patients. At last follow-up, anal incontinence was more frequent in elderly patients with pfCD than in elderly patients without pfCD [22% vs 4%, respectively; p < 10-4]. Rectal CD at diagnosis was associated with pfCD: hazard ratio (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.8 [1.6-5.0]). Although 37% of the patients received immunosuppressants and 17% received anti-tumour necrosis factor agents, 24% [14 out of 59] had a definitive stoma at last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

During the first 6 years of disease, the prevalence of pfCD was similar in elderly and paediatric patients. Rectal involvement was associated with the appearance of pfCD in elderly-onset patients. Around a quarter of patients with elderly-onset CD will have a stoma. Our results suggest that treatment with biologics should be evaluated in these patients.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) position statement of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR): general principles of IBD management

The Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR) promoted the project reported here, which consists of a Position Statement of Italian colorectal surgeons to address the surgical aspects of inflammatory bowel disease management. Members of the society were invited to express their opinions on several items proposed by the writing committee, based on evidence available in the literature. The results are presented, focusing on relevant points. The present paper is not an alternative to available guidelines; rather, it offers a snapshot of the attitudes of SICCR surgeons about the general principles of surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The committee was able to identify some points of major disagreement and suggested strategies to improve quality of available data and acceptance of guidelines.

Comparative Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Different Age Groups in the United States

BACKGROUND

Data on the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by age group are available in countries outside of the United States or localized populations within the United States. We aimed to estimate the incidence rates (IRs) of IBD by age group using a US multiregional data set.

METHODS

We used the Optum Research Database to identify incident IBD patients with a disease-free interval of 1.5 years between 2005 and 2015. Overall and age-specific IRs were calculated for 4 different age groups: pediatric (0-17 years), young adult (18-25 years), adult (26-59 years), elderly (>60 years). Time trends of incidence were evaluated in each age group. Perianal phenotype (in Crohn's disease [CD]) was also compared.

RESULTS

The mean IR for the cohort (n = 60,247) from 2005 to 2015 was 37.5/100,000. The IR was highest in adult and elderly cohorts (36.4 and 36.7/100,000 respectively). In the adult and elderly groups, the IR for UC was higher than that for CD, whereas the opposite was true in the pediatric and young adult groups. The IR increased over the 10-year study period for all age groups (time trends P < 0.001). The elderly group had less perianal disease than the adult group (20.8 vs 22.3%, respectively; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In one of the most comprehensive evaluations of the incidence of IBD in the United States, we found an incidence rate similar to those of other national populations. We also confirmed differences of specific IBD phenotypes based on age groups, with lower rates of perianal disease in the elderly.

IBD in the Elderly: Management Challenges and Therapeutic Considerations

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are increasing in prevalence as our population ages and the incidence of IBD increases. The purpose of this review is to describe the management challenges in elderly IBD patients, including comorbid conditions and therapeutic considerations unique to the elderly population.

RECENT FINDINGS

The elderly experience coexisting comorbidities that complicate IBD management. The disease course and potential side effects of treatments can impact the elderly IBD patient differently than younger IBD patients. The duration for colorectal cancer surveillance (CRC) also remains controversial and should be individualized to determine when discontinuation is appropriate. Given greater safety considerations in the elderly IBD population, treatment targets and management goals require a more personalized approach in the elderly, taking into account coexisting comorbidities, inflammatory burden, and functional limitations.

How to manage IBD in the 'elderly'

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.

Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Ulcerative Colitis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients have an increased risk for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Our aim was to assess the risk of CRC in UC patients compared with disease extent, disease duration, and geographic variation.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, scientific meetings, and the bibliographies of identified articles, with English language restrictions for studies published from 1988 to 2018, and assessed the risk of CRC in UC patients. Patients with Crohn's disease, family history of CRC, and colorectal adenomatous polyp (CAP) were excluded from this research. The study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018102213.

FINDINGS

We included 58 studies that included 267566 UC patients. Extensive UC and left-sided UC had a higher risk of CRC than proctitis UC. Geography also played a role in UC-associated CRC development. The time of malignant transformation in Asian UC patients started after 10-20 years of this disease duration. North American UC-associated CRC patients significantly increased in more than 30 years of this disease duration.

CONCLUSION

In a systematic review of the literature, we found that disease extent, disease duration, and geography were strong, independent risk factors in UC-associated CRC development.

Surgery for ulcerative colitis in geriatric patients is safe with similar risk to younger patients

OBJECTIVE

A prior study indicated that postoperative mortality and complications were higher in geriatrics with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We sought to assess the rates of surgical complications and mortality in patients aged ≥65 years after colectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODS

This is a single center retrospective study at a tertiary care center. We reviewed all hospital discharges with ICD-9 code 556.X between January 2002 and January 2014. Patients were included if they underwent a colectomy for UC. All records were manually reviewed for demographics, complications and mortality within 90 days postoperatively.

RESULTS

A total of 259 patients underwent surgery for UC during the study period and 34 patients were ≥65 years old (range 65-82) at the time of their surgery. There was no difference in overall length of stay (10.5 days vs. 9.6 days; P = 0.645) or complication rates (44% vs. 47%; P = 0.854) in the ≥65 cohort compared with the under 65 cohort. Mortality was higher in the geriatric cohort but this included only two deaths within 90 days, one of which was unrelated to the surgery, compared with one death related to surgery within 90 days in the younger cohort. Readmissions occurred in 24% of both cohorts within 90 days.

CONCLUSION

Geriatric patients undergoing surgery for UC are not at increased risk of surgery-related morbidity or mortality compared with a younger cohort.

A Comprehensive Review of the Diagnosis and Pharmacological Management of Crohn's Disease in the Elderly Population

Crohn's disease (CD) in the elderly is rising in prevalence, which is related to an increase in its incidence and improving life expectancies. There are differences in the presentation, natural history, and treatment of CD between adult-onset patients who progress to older age and patients who are initially diagnosed at an older age. Presentation at an older age may also delay or make diagnosis challenging due to accumulating co-morbidities that mimic inflammatory bowel disease. Differences exist between adult- and older-onset disease, yet many guidelines do not specifically distinguish the management of these two distinct populations. Identifying patients at high risk for progression or aggressive disease is particularly important as elderly patients may respond differently to medical and surgical treatment, and may be at higher risk for adverse effects. Despite newer agents being approved for CD, the data regarding efficacy and safety in the elderly are currently limited. Balancing symptom management with risks of medical and surgical therapy is an ongoing challenge and requires special consideration in these two distinct populations.

THE ONSET OF CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE PATIENTS

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease is often delayed because of the lack of an ability to recognize its major clinical manifestations.

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to describe the onset of clinical manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study. Investigators obtained data from interviews and the medical records of inflammatory bowel disease patients from a reference centre located in Brazil.

RESULTS

A total of 306 patients were included. The mean time between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 28 months for Crohn's disease and 19 months for ulcerative colitis. The main clinical manifestations in Crohn's disease patients were weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and asthenia. The most relevant symptoms in ulcerative colitis patients were blood in the stool, faecal urgency, diarrhoea, mucus in the stool, weight loss, abdominal pain and asthenia. It was observed that weight loss, abdominal pain and distension, asthenia, appetite loss, anaemia, insomnia, fever, nausea, perianal disease, extraintestinal manifestation, oral thrush, vomiting and abdominal mass were more frequent in Crohn's patients than in ulcerative colitis patients. The frequencies of urgency, faecal incontinence, faeces with mucus and blood, tenesmus and constipation were higher in ulcerative colitis patients than in Crohn's disease patients. The mean time from the onset of clinical symptoms to the diagnosis of Crohn's disease was 37 months for patients with ileocolonic location, 26 months for patients with ileum location and 18 months for patients with colon location. In ulcerative colitis patients, the mean time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 52 months for proctitis, 12 months for left-sided colitis and 12 months for extensive colitis.

CONCLUSION

Ulcerative colitis presented a high frequency of intestinal symptoms, and Crohn's disease showed a high frequency of systemic manifestations at the onset of manifestation. There was a long delay in diagnosis, but individuals with more extensive disease and more obvious symptoms showed a shorter delay.

Late-Onset Crohn's Disease Is A Subgroup Distinct in Genetic and Behavioral Risk Factors With UC-Like Characteristics

BACKGROUND

Age of onset is linked to variations in clinical phenotypes and natural history in Crohn's disease (CD). We aim to define etiologically more homogenous subgroups in CD based on ages of onset.

METHODS

We examined the distribution of CD polygenetic risk score (PRS) across ages of diagnosis in a Caucasian cohort of 2344 independent CD patients. We identified subgroups with a distinct distribution of PRS and compared those groups in genetics, demographic characteristics, clinical subphenotypes, and serological markers. The results were replicated in an independent cohort of 13,065 CD patients from the International Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Genetic Consortium (IIBDGC).

RESULTS

We identified a late-onset (LO) subgroup in CD (age at diagnosis ≥ 55 years) with significantly lower PRS compared with the intermediate group (age at diagnosis between 5 and 55 years) in both cohorts. Smoking cessation, a risk factor for ulcerative colitis (UC) and protective factor for CD, had a higher rate in this LO subgroup in comparison with the intermediate group. We also compared the LO group with the intermediate group, and, consistent with previous reports, the LO group more often had colonic CD, had less penetrating disease behavior, and had less need for surgery. Serological analysis showed that LO CD patients were more antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positive and less antisaccharomyces cerevisiae antibody positive compared with the intermediate group. Variance component analysis indicated that overall genetic contribution to LO CD was lower relative to the middle group, and genetic heterogeneity testing indicated that LO CD was different from the middle group in underlying genetic architecture.

CONCLUSIONS

Late-onset CD is subgroup distinct in genetic and behavioral risk factors with UC-like characteristics. 10.1093/ibd/izy148_video1izy148.video15791413461001.

Clinical differences between elderly-onset ulcerative colitis and non-elderly-onset ulcerative colitis: A nationwide survey data in Japan

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Studies on the characteristics of elderly-onset ulcerative colitis (EOUC) and non-elderly-onset ulcerative colitis (NEOUC) have reported conflicting findings. The aim of this study was to compare disease characteristics of EOUC and NEOUC by analyzing the database of the Japanese nationwide inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) registry.

METHODS

We analyzed the age of disease onset, sex, disease severity, and disease extent in patients with ulcerative colitis that were newly diagnosed and registered within 1 year between 2004 and 2009 (n = 28 179). We also analyzed the medical treatment, rate of IBD-related surgery, and postoperative complications. We compared them between younger than 65 years old (NEOUC group) and 65 years old or older (EOUC group) patients.

RESULTS

A total of 25 401 (90.1%) and 2778 (9.9%) patients were included in the NEOUC and EOUC groups, respectively. In the EOUC group, disease activity was significantly higher, and extent of pathological changes in the colon more extended significantly. Laboratory findings showed that inflammatory markers were elevated significantly in the EOUC group. The proportion of those with IBD-related hospitalization was significantly higher in the EOUC group (54.2% vs 35.7%, P < 0.001). The proportion of patients who were treated with corticosteroids was significantly higher in the EOUC group (36.7% vs 30.8%, P < 0.001). Significantly more number of patients underwent IBD-related surgery in the EOUC group (0.68% vs 0.27%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients show higher disease activity, with a higher proportion requiring IBD-related hospitalization and IBD-related surgery, according to the nationwide registry in Japan.

Inflammatory bowel disease in patients over the age of 70 y. Does the disease duration influence its behavior?

INTRODUCTION

The fastest growing segment of our population is that of people above 70 years of age. Elderly patients with IBD exhibit several specific problems. Our objective was to evaluate the clinical course, the side effects of the treatments and the need for surgery of elderly patients, regardless of the age of onset.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study wherein retrospective data were collected from multiple centers from seven hospitals within the Valencia metropolitan area. Data were collected on patients older than 70 y with inflammatory bowel disease.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 331 patients older than 70 years of age (5.3% of patients monitored at our centers). The mean age at the time of the study was 77.34 y (±5.39). Mesalamine were the most frequently used medications. Corticosteroids were used in 66% of the patients. However, the use of corticosteroids and biologics was less probable in older patients (OR 0.96, p = .06). The longer the disease progressed, the more immunosuppressive medications were used (OR 1.3, p = .052). Neoplasms appeared in 41 patients (13%). Of the 36 patients with tumors that appeared after the onset of the disease, 20 patients had not been treated with immunomodulators or biologics.

CONCLUSIONS

Mesalamine was the most frequently used medication. There is no increased risk of tumors regarding the medications used. The use of immunosuppressive medications is more prevalent with longer disease progression times, although with a high rate of adverse events.

Management of inflammatory bowel disease in older persons: evolving paradigms

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing, and considering the aging population, this number is set to increase further in the future. The clinical features and natural history of elderly-onset IBD have many similarities with those of IBD in younger patients, but with significant differences including a broader differential diagnosis. The relative lack of data specific to elderly patients with IBD, often stemming from their typical exclusion from clinical trials, has made clinical decision-making somewhat challenging. Treatment decisions in elderly patients with IBD must take into account age-specific concerns such as comorbidities, locomotor and cognitive function, and polypharmacy, to set realistic treatment targets in order to enable personalized treatment and minimize harm. Notwithstanding paucity of clinical data, recent studies have provided valuable insights, which, taken together with information gleaned from previous studies, can broaden our understanding of IBD. These insights may contribute to the development of paradigms for the holistic and, when possible, evidence-based management of this potentially vulnerable population and are the focus of this review.

Incidence and Treatment of Patients Diagnosed With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at 60 Years or Older in Sweden

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is increasing among elderly persons (60 years or older). We performed a nationwide population-based study to estimate incidence and treatment of IBD.

METHODS

We identified all incident IBD cases in Sweden from 2006 through 2013 using national registers and up to 10 matched population comparator subjects. We collected data on the patients' health care contacts and estimated incidence rates, health service burden, pharmacologic treatments, extra-intestinal manifestations, and surgeries in relation to age of IBD onset (pediatric, <18 years; adults, 18-59 years; elderly, ≥60 years).

RESULTS

Of 27,834 persons diagnosed with incident IBD, 6443 (23%) had a first diagnosis of IBD at 60 years or older, corresponding to an incidence rate of 35/100,000 person-years (10/100,000 person-years for Crohn's disease, 19/100,000 person-years for ulcerative colitis, and 5/100,000 person-years for IBD unclassified). During a median follow-up period of 4.2 years (range, 0-9 years), elderly patients had less IBD-specific outpatient health care but more IBD-related hospitalizations and overall health care use than adult patients with IBD. Compared with patients with pediatric or adult-onset IBD, elderly patients used fewer biologics and immunomodulators but more systemic corticosteroids. Occurrence of extra-intestinal manifestations was similar in elderly and adult patients, but bowel surgery was more common in the elderly (13% after 5 years vs 10% in adults) (P < .001). The absolute risk of bowel surgery was higher in the elderly than in the general population, but in relative terms, the risk increase was larger in younger age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In a nationwide cohort study in Sweden, we associated diagnosis of IBD at age 60 years or older with a lower use of biologics and immunomodulators but higher absolute risk of bowel surgery, compared with diagnosis at a younger age. The large differences in pharmacologic treatment of adults and elderly patients are not necessarily because of a milder course of disease and warrant further investigation.

Unsuspected Small-Bowel Crohn's Disease in Elderly Patients Diagnosed by Video Capsule Endoscopy

Background

Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is increasingly performed among the elderly for obscure bleeding. Our aim was to report on the utility of VCE to uncover unsuspected Crohn's disease (CD) in elderly patients.

Methods

Retrospective review of VCE performed in elderly patients (≥70 y) at a tertiary hospital (2010-2015). All underwent prior negative bidirectional endoscopies. CD diagnosis was based on consistent endoscopic findings, exclusion of other causes, and a Lewis endoscopic score (LS) > 790 (moderate-to-severe inflammation). Those with lower LS (350-790) required histological confirmation. Known IBD cases were excluded.

Results

197 VCE were performed (mean age 78; range 70-93). Main indications were iron deficiency anemia (IDA), occult GI bleeding (OGIB), chronic abdominal pain, or diarrhea. Eight (4.1%) were diagnosed as CD based on the aforementioned criteria. Fecal calprotectin (FCP) was elevated in 7/8 (mean 580 μg/g). Mean LS was 1824. Small-bowel CD detected by VCE led to a change in management in 4/8. One patient had capsule retention secondary to NSAID induced stricture, requiring surgical retrieval.

Conclusions

VCE can be safely performed in the elderly. A proportion of cases may have unsuspected small-bowel CD despite negative endoscopies. FCP was the best screening test. Diagnosis frequently changed management.

Precancer in ulcerative colitis: the role of the field effect and its clinical implications

Cumulative evidence indicates that a significant proportion of cancer evolution may occur before the development of histological abnormalities. While recent improvements in DNA sequencing technology have begun to reveal the presence of these early preneoplastic clones, the concept of 'premalignant field' was already introduced by Slaughter more than half a century ago. Also referred to as 'field effect', 'field defect' or 'field cancerization', these terms describe the phenomenon by which molecular alterations develop in normal-appearing tissue and expand to form premalignant patches with the potential to progress to dysplasia and cancer. Field effects have been well-characterized in ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that increases the risk of colorectal cancer. The study of the molecular alterations that define these fields is informative of mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression and has provided potential targets for early cancer detection. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge about the molecular alterations that comprise the field effect in ulcerative colitis and the clinical utility of these fields for cancer screening and prevention.

Clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of elderly onset ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with elderly onset ulcerative colitis (EOUC), a new growing subgroup of UC.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed 3060 South Korean UC patients diagnosed between 1977 and 2014. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of EOUC, defined as UC in those aged ≥ 60 years at diagnosis, were compared with those of non-EOUC (NEOUC).

RESULTS

Among the 3060 patients, 226 were diagnosed with EOUC (7.4%, median age at diagnosis 65.9 years [interquartile range, 62.9-68.7 years], 58.4% male). The frequency of EOUC increased from 3.9% in the interval 1977-1999 to 9.7% in the interval 2008-2014 (P < 0.001). There were more ex-smokers in the EOUC than in the NEOUC group (44.2% vs 19.9%, P < 0.001). In the EOUC group, extensive colitis at diagnosis, and the maximum extent thereof, was less than in the NEOUC group (13.7% vs 22.6%, P = 0.002, and 34.5% vs 42.5%, P = 0.011, respectively). The 10-year cumulative colectomy rate was significantly higher in the EOUC than in the NEOUC group (12.6% vs 7.7%, P = 0.015). UC-related and all-cause mortality were higher in the EOUC than in the NEOUC group (3.5% vs 0.6%, P < 0.001, and 12.4% vs 1.8%, P < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Elderly onset ulcerative colitis patients are likely to exhibit distinct features both at diagnosis and during follow-up. It is necessary to pay more attention to, and to conduct further studies on, this particular group of patients.

Elderly-Onset and Adult-Onset Ulcerative Colitis Are More Similar than Previously Reported in a Nationwide Cohort

BACKGROUND

Elderly-onset ulcerative colitis (EO-UC) is recognized as a distinct subpopulation of UC. To our knowledge, there have been no nationwide studies of EO-UC populations in the USA.

AIMS

We aim to characterize differences in presentation at diagnosis and clinical course between EO-UC and adult-onset UC (AO-UC) patients in a national cohort.

METHODS

Complete medical records of patients newly diagnosed with UC from October 2001 to October 2011 in the Veterans Affairs health system were obtained. Patients were followed until colectomy, death, or the end of the observation period on November 2015. EO-UC patients (age of diagnosis ≥65 years) were compared to AO-UC patients (age of diagnosis ≤40 years) with respect to demographic, severity, and therapeutic data. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP statistical software.

RESULTS

We identified 836 newly diagnosed UC patients, of which 207 had EO-UC and 102 had AO-UC. The mean age of diagnosis was 72.4 years (EO-UC) and 32.9 years (AO-UC), with a mean 8-year follow-up period. The incidence of pancolitis at the time of diagnosis was similar between both groups (p = 0.67). There was no difference in steroid use (36.7 vs 45.1%, p = 0.1563), thiopurine use (19.3 vs 22.6%, p = 0.5081), and colectomy rates (6.3 vs 5.9%, p = 0.8911) between EO-UC and AO-UC populations. There was lower anti-TNF use in EO-UC patients compared to AO-UC patients (5.8 vs 14.7%, p = 0.0091).

CONCLUSION

In this nationwide cohort, we found that the use of steroids, thiopurines, and colectomy was similar in both populations, while anti-TNF use was lower among the elderly.

The Changing Phenotype of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

It is widely known that there have been improvements in patient care and an increased incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) worldwide in recent decades. However, less well known are the phenotypic changes that have occurred; these are discussed in this review. Namely, we discuss the emergence of obesity in patients with IBD, elderly onset disease, mortality rates, colorectal cancer risk, the burden of medications and comorbidities, and the improvement in surgical treatment with a decrease in surgical rates in recent decades.