Hospitalizations for IBD Among Older Adults

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Severe cases of IBD may require hospitalization. Older adults with IBD usually have worse hospitalization outcomes than do younger adults.

What is IBD?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Facts about IBD Among Older Adults

People with IBD often have other chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. The number of older adults with IBD is expected to increase as the US population ages.1

Stomach ache, man placing hands on the abdomen

Hospitalization rates for IBD decreased among whites but not among blacks from 1999 to 2017.

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Hospitalizations for IBD among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65+
Hospitalizations for IBD among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65+
  • CDC analyzed Medicare data to estimate the hospitalization rates and outcomes in 2017.2
  • Per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries, there were 15.5 hospitalizations for Crohn’s disease and 16.2 hospitalizations for ulcerative colitis.
  • Per 100 hospital stays, there were 17.4 surgeries associated with Crohn’s disease and 11.2 surgeries for ulcerative colitis.
  • The average hospital stay was 3.9 days for Crohn’s disease and 4.1 days for ulcerative colitis.
  • Per 100 hospital stays, there were 2.7 deaths within 30 days from discharge for Crohn’s disease and 3.8 deaths for ulcerative colitis.
  • Per 100 hospital stays, there were 15.8 hospital readmissions within 30 days from discharge for Crohn’s disease and 16.0 hospital readmissions for ulcerative colitis.
  • From 1999 to 2017, the hospitalization rate for IBD decreased among non-Hispanic white beneficiaries, but not among non-Hispanic black beneficiaries.
Implications for Clinicians
Implications for Clinicians
Optimal disease management for older adults with IBD should focus on
  • Increasing preventive care.3
  • Preventing emergency surgeries that might result in further complications.
References
  1. Xu F, Dahlhamer JM, Zammitti EP, Wheaton, AG, Croft JB. Health-risk behaviors and chronic conditions among adults with inflammatory bowel disease—United States, 2015 and 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.external icon 2018;16;67(6):190–195.
  2. Xu F, Wheaton AG, Liu Y, Lu H, Greenland KJ. Hospitalizations for inflammatory bowel disease among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries—United States, 1999—2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.external icon 2019; 68(49);1134–1138.
  3. Farraye FA, Melmed GY, Lichtenstein GR, Kane SV. ACG clinical guideline: preventive care in inflammatory bowel Diseaseexternal icon. Am J Gastroenterol.external icon 2017;112(2):241–258.
Page last reviewed: April 15, 2022
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention