This global study, led by researchers from St George’s University of London, Imperial College London, and University College London reviewed 101 studies representing over 100,000 people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis from across the world.
People who wait the longest from first symptoms to diagnosis (7 months for Ulcerative Colitis and 15 months for Crohn's disease) were two and four times more likely to need bowel surgery respectively.
We launched our Early Diagnosis campaign because it’s taking too long for people with Crohn’s and Colitis to get diagnosed – in the UK more than a quarter are waiting over a year from first symptoms to diagnosis.
This study shines a light on the terrible impact of slow diagnosis for the long term health of people with colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Sarah Sleet, CEO, Crohn's & Colitis UK
Responding to news of the study, Sarah Sleet, CEO of Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said:
“We launched our Early Diagnosis campaign because it’s taking too long for people with Crohn’s and Colitis to get diagnosed – in the UK more than a quarter are waiting over a year from first symptoms to diagnosis. This study shines a light on the terrible impact of slow diagnosis for the long term health of people with colitis and Crohn’s disease.
“The earlier we diagnose, the earlier we can treat and the better people do, so we’d urge everyone to see their GP as soon as symptoms appear. This is why we have developed an online symptom checker to direct people to reliable health advice. It can also send you a letter for your GP to make talking through symptoms easier – helping to cut through the taboos which have kept people suffering in silence.
“Most people diagnosed with Crohn’s and Colitis are of working age. If treatment is delayed and the likelihood of stronger medication, hospital admissions or surgery is increased, not only individual patients bear the cost, but also our hard-pressed NHS and our economy in lost working days.”
The study is the first to systematically examine the impact of diagnostic delay on the clinical outcomes in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Find out more about the study here.
This study highlights the need for strategies that achieve earlier diagnosis of Inflammatory bowel disease to enable more timely treatment, improved disease outcomes and quality of life.
Our findings add weight to the recently launched campaign for earlier diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease by ... Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
Professor Richard Pollok, senior author on the paper from St George’s, University of London
Professor Richard Pollok, senior author on the paper from St George’s, University of London, said:
“This study highlights the need for strategies that achieve earlier diagnosis of Inflammatory bowel disease to enable more timely treatment, improved disease outcomes and quality of life. Our findings add weight to the recently launched campaign for earlier diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease by the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK.”
Professor Sonia Saxena, co-author from Imperial College London and GP lead on the study said:
“These findings show that delays of just few months can make all the difference and in poorer regions of the world delays at all stages of care pathways add up to worse outcomes for those with chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.“
Back our call for early diagnosis
We can’t achieve early diagnosis without your help. Whether you live with Crohn’s or Colitis, or know someone affected by the conditions, we need your help. Back our call for early diagnosis today.
