Hospitalizations for IBD Among Older Adults
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

Hospitalization rates for IBD decreased among whites but not among blacks from 1999 to 2017.
Hospitalizations for IBD among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65+ |
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Implications for Clinicians |
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Optimal disease management for older adults with IBD should focus on |
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References
- 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.
- 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.
- 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