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The incidence of Crohn's disease in the Helsinki metropolitan area during 1975-1985
L Halme1, K von Smitten, A Husa
1Fourth Department of Surgery, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Insights
The incidence of Crohn's disease in Helsinki tripled from 1975-1985, then stabilized. This study tracked new Crohn's disease diagnoses in the Helsinki metropolitan area, revealing key epidemiological trends.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
- Understanding disease incidence trends is crucial for public health planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the hospital incidence of Crohn's disease in the Helsinki metropolitan area between 1975 and 1985.
- To analyze trends and age-specific incidence rates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study design.
- Analysis of newly diagnosed Crohn's disease patients within a defined urban population.
- Calculation of annual and age-specific incidence rates.
Main Results:
- 193 new Crohn's disease cases diagnosed between 1975-1985.
- Annual incidence increased from 1/100,000 to 3/100,000, stabilizing at 3/100,000.
- Highest incidence observed in the 15-24 age group, with no significant sex difference.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of Crohn's disease in Helsinki showed a significant increase followed by stabilization.
- Epidemiological patterns in Helsinki align with those reported in other Western countries.
- Further research may explore contributing factors to these incidence trends.
Abstract:
The hospital incidence of Crohn's disease in the Helsinki metropolitan area during 1975-1985 was studied retrospectively. The resident population in this urban, well-defined district was 790,000 in the year 1985. During this period 193 new patients suffering from Crohn's disease were diagnosed. The annual incidence increased three times from 1/100,000 to 3/100,000, while the annual mean incidence was 2,3/100,000. The age-specific incidence was highest in the age-groups 15-24 with no sex difference. After the initial rapid increase the incidence of Crohn's disease in the Helsinki metropolitan area has stabilized on the level 3/100,000. These figures are similar to those reported from other Scandinavian and Western countries.