Crohn's disease - facts and figures

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the digestive system, but most commonly affects the ileum and colon.

• The majority of people who suffer from Crohn’s disease are aged between 16 and 40 years.
  
  
• About 20% of sufferers have a close relative that also suffers from inflammatory bowel disease (either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis).
  
  
• Crohn’s disease is more common in Northern European countries, particularly Scandinavia.
  
  
• It affects men and women equally.
  
  
• Between 2–7 in every 100,000 people suffer from Crohn’s disease.
  
  
• About 2 million people in the US suffer from inflammatory bowel disease