TY - JOUR

T1 - The Incidence and Prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Continues to Increase in the Faroe Islands – A Cohort Study from 1960 to 2020

AU - Nielsen, Kári Rubek

AU - Midjord, Jóngerð

AU - Lophaven, Søren Nymand

AU - Langholz, Ebbe

AU - Hammer, Turid

AU - Burisch, Johan

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Background and Aims: The highest reported incidence rate of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], and especially of ulcerative colitis [UC], is found in the Faroe Islands. This study aimed to assess the incidence rate and temporal trends in prevalence over six decades. Methods: All incident and prevalent patients diagnosed with IBD between 1960 and 2020 from the nationwide and population-based Faroese IBD cohort were included in this study. All patients fulfilled the Copenhagen Diagnostic Criteria. Results: Overall, 873 individuals were diagnosed with IBD during the study period, 559 [64%] with UC, 151 [17%] with Crohn’s disease, and 163 [19%] with IBD unclassified. A total of 59 patients had paediatric-onset IBD. The incidence of IBD continued to increase throughout the study period, as the age-standardized incidence rate started at 8 per 100 000 person-years [py] [European Standard Population, ESP] in 1960–79 and reached 70 by 2010–20. In 2021, the age-standardized period prevalence was 1414 per 100 000 persons. The IBD incidence was unevenly distributed among the islands with Sandoy having the highest rate of 106 per 100 000 py in 2010–2020. Conclusions: The incidence of IBD continues to increase in the Faroe Islands, mainly driven by UC. The incidence shows an uneven geographical distribution, which suggests an adverse interaction between unknown environmental factors and genetic traits. The prevalence in 2021 corresponded to 1.3% of the Faroese population. Environmental risk factors are suspected to impact this homogeneous high-risk population; however, the reason for this is unclear.

AB - Background and Aims: The highest reported incidence rate of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], and especially of ulcerative colitis [UC], is found in the Faroe Islands. This study aimed to assess the incidence rate and temporal trends in prevalence over six decades. Methods: All incident and prevalent patients diagnosed with IBD between 1960 and 2020 from the nationwide and population-based Faroese IBD cohort were included in this study. All patients fulfilled the Copenhagen Diagnostic Criteria. Results: Overall, 873 individuals were diagnosed with IBD during the study period, 559 [64%] with UC, 151 [17%] with Crohn’s disease, and 163 [19%] with IBD unclassified. A total of 59 patients had paediatric-onset IBD. The incidence of IBD continued to increase throughout the study period, as the age-standardized incidence rate started at 8 per 100 000 person-years [py] [European Standard Population, ESP] in 1960–79 and reached 70 by 2010–20. In 2021, the age-standardized period prevalence was 1414 per 100 000 persons. The IBD incidence was unevenly distributed among the islands with Sandoy having the highest rate of 106 per 100 000 py in 2010–2020. Conclusions: The incidence of IBD continues to increase in the Faroe Islands, mainly driven by UC. The incidence shows an uneven geographical distribution, which suggests an adverse interaction between unknown environmental factors and genetic traits. The prevalence in 2021 corresponded to 1.3% of the Faroese population. Environmental risk factors are suspected to impact this homogeneous high-risk population; however, the reason for this is unclear.

KW - epidemiology

KW - Faroe Islands

KW - inflammatory bowel disease

U2 - 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad155

DO - 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad155

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37667976

AN - SCOPUS:85186216228

VL - 18

SP - 308

EP - 319

JO - Journal of Crohn's & colitis

JF - Journal of Crohn's & colitis

SN - 1873-9946

IS - 2

ER -