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Acute appendicitis and dietary fibre: an alternative hypothesis
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
|April 13, 1985
Summary
This study on acute appendicitis trends in Britain found that dietary changes, including fibre, meat, and sugar intake, did not explain disease incidence. Infectious aetiology is a more likely cause for appendicitis epidemiology.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Acute appendicitis incidence has shown distinct time trends in Britain.
- Previous hypotheses suggested links between appendicitis and dietary changes, such as fibre, meat, and sugar consumption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between time trends in acute appendicitis incidence and historical dietary changes in Britain.
- To evaluate the influence of World War II dietary shifts on appendicitis rates.
- To explore alternative explanations for appendicitis epidemiology.
Main Methods:
- Inferred appendicitis incidence trends from mortality data, utilizing knowledge of historical case fatality rates, diagnostic criteria, and management.
- Analyzed time trends in relation to documented changes in fibre, meat, and sugar consumption.
Main Results:
- Appendicitis incidence rose steeply from approximately 1895 and declined from the 1930s.
- No significant evidence was found that disease rates were substantially impacted by dietary changes during World War II.
- The observed time trends in appendicitis are not adequately explained by dietary factors.
Conclusions:
- Dietary changes do not appear to be the primary driver of historical time trends in acute appendicitis.
- An infectious aetiology offers a more plausible explanation for the epidemiology of acute appendicitis.