Crohn's prevalence in North America?

[Dasha123]

I was wondering if anyone knows what countries are most affected by Crohn's/Colitis? If there are more cases in North America, why do you think this is?When I ask anybody who is from Eastern Europe,Russia, Central Asia...they seem to have never heard of these diseases. I asked a doctor from Bulgaria recently and she said it was a "Western" disease. Any thoughts?:yfaint:

 

[Clash]

Here is a map that has been posted several times in other threads:

Hope that helps.

Edit

Let me try again, here is a link to a thread that discusses among other things the incidence of crohns in different areas, also if you google for a map of incidence of crohns there are several.


click here

 

[Beatit]

Link above does not work in Clash post for me but I know its like 257 out 1 person in the United Kingdom. Pretty sure its mostly in UK.

 

[2thFairy]

My stoma nurse seems to think it is most prevalent in the UK as well. I dunno..I haven't done any research on it.

 

[CrohnsChicago]

It is often considered a 1st world country disease.

Most industrialized countries (US, Great Britain, Austuralia, China, Japan and other SE Asian countries). And in the USA it appears to occur more in the northern regions (especially along the "rust belt" as it is commonly called) than the southern as well as more urban areas in general.

The pattern, however not determined to be a cause, is that industrialized areas and those with higher standards for hygiene (which can create sanitary practices which reduce our tolerance for certain natural bacteria) tend to have more citizens with crohn's disease/UC.

 

[Clash]

Okay I edited my above post

 

[mnsun]

If you search the site, I'm pretty sure you can find studies showing the further away from the equator, the more IBD. That is, the less Vit D3, the more IBD incidences. I also know there has been a noticeable uptick recently in Canada--this has been in the science news in the past year or two.

That is not to say that the Standard American Diet, or other 1st world versions of it, isn't a major factor.