It is estimated that about a million people in the United States suffer from IBD, and that half of those – 500,000 in case you’re not a mental math whiz – have Crohn’s. The other half are people who have Ulcerative Colitis, the second type of IBD.
In parts of Europe, around 0.3 to 0.5% of people are thought to have Crohn’s.
People who smoke are believed to be more likely to get Crohn’s, and there is no noted preference between the number of males or females who contract the disease.
Crohn’s is slightly less common in people of African American heritage and slightly more common in people of Jewish descent.
About 1 in 5 people who have Crohn’s have a close family relative with some other form of IBD or IBS.
Onset of the disease occurs most commonly in people in their 20′s.
Comment from CHRISTINE HALL
Time: September 14, 2010, 1:33 am
THANKS FOR YOUR STORY. MINE IS I’M 48 YEARS OLD I HAVE ULCERATIVE CROHN’S FOR 31 YEARS. IN 2008 I LOST MY LARGE INTESTINE TO CROHN’S. I NOW HAVE AN ILEOSTOMY. I HAVE BEEN UP & DOWN AGAIN ON STEROIDS EVERY MED FROM IMURAN,MP6,HUMIRA HAVE GIVEN ME HORRIFIC SIDE EFFECTS. REMICAIDE WORKED WELL BUT WHEN MY DRS LEFT SHANDS A TEACHING HOSP. BECAUSE OF LACK OF GRANTS IT LEFT ME WITH REGULAR GI’S. TO GET REMICAIDE FROM AN OUT-PATIENT INFUSION CENTER I HAVE TO PAY $20,000 FOR MED & HOPE TO BE REIMBURST FROM INSURANCE. I AM DISABLED BECAUSE OF THE DISEASE. I HAVE HAD MRSA FOR THE 3RD TIME IN JULY SO ENBREL IS OUT OF THE QUESTION UNTIL 6MONTHS FREE OF INFECTION. WHICH WILL NOT HAPPEN. I HAVE CYRRIATIC PSORIOSIS & ARTHRITIS WHICH IS NOW EATING MY JOINTS & DISFIGURING MY BONES IN HANDS & FEET THE RHUEMATOLOGIST SAYS BECAUSE OF LIVER DAMAGE & HIGH ENZYME LEVELS I CAN’T EVEN TAKE METHOTREXATE IT WILL KILL ME. SO I TAKE TYLENOL, I HATE PAIN MEDS BUT SOMETIMES I HAVE TO FOR ARTHRITIS. THERE ARE NO MORE MEDS FOR ME TO TRY NO TRANSPLANTS AVAILABLE SO I AM ON BORROWED TIME. I FEEL LIKE A PIONEER FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEWLY DIAGNOSED & HAVE SO MUCH MORE OPTIONS THAN I DID 31 YEARS AGO. MY NEW GRANDDAUGHTER KEEPS ME GOING AS WELL AS A LOVING HUSBAND OF 28 YEARS, 2 GROWN CHILDREN & VERY CLOSE FAMILY WHO ALSO HAVE CROHN’S.UC,IBS. IT COMES FROM MY MOM’S SIDE OF FAMILY TRACED BACK TO 1800″S IRELAND & ENGLAND. HER DAD’S SIDE HAD COLON CANCER THAT’S WHAT THEY CALLED IT THEN. BUT HER ELDEST SISTER REMEMBERS LAXATIVES ALWAYS IN THE HOUSE GROWING UP IN THE 1920′S. I TELL EVERYONE PLEASE FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY HISTORY YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU WILL FIND TO HELP YOU MEDICALLY IT’S SO IMPORTANT. MY DAUGHTER WAS ABLE TO GO TO HER PEDIATRICIAN WITH FAMILY HISTORY & NEW WHAT SHE WOULD BE UP AGAINST WITH THE BABY. SHE HAD SEVERE STOMACH PROBLEMS JUST LIKE MY DAUGHTER & DLEPT SITTING UP IN A BOUNCY SEAT OR SWING FOR 10 MONTHS. THEY ALL MOVED IN WITH MY HUSBAND & I SO I COULD HELP THE MOM & DAD GET SOME SLEEP SO THEY COULD GET UP FOR WORK. THE DR. HAD HER ON ZANTAC & MYLACON & MY DAUGHTER THOUGHT BREAST FEEDING WOULD BE BETTER BUT THE BABY WASN’T GETTING ENOUGH. SO 5 FORMULAS LATER & ALOT OF PUSHING FROM ME WE FOUND 1 FOR HER. MY NIECE WENT THRU THE SAME THING A YEAR BEFORE & FOUND A SENSITIVE FORMULA BUT HER SON CAN DRINK WHOLE MILK MY GRAND DAUGHTER CAN ONLY DRINK LACTAID LIKE MY DAUGHTER DOES TIL THIS DAY. THE DISEASE WENT FROM MY GRANDFATHER’S ERA OF FEMALE & MALE, MY MOM’S WAS ALL FEMALE,MINE WAS ALL FEMALE,MYSELF.SISTERS & BROTHER’S CHILDREN & COUSINS CHILDREN ARE AGAIN BACK TO FEMALE & MALE & GRANDCHILDREN FEMALE & MALE. THE GENERATION AFTER THAT MIGHT GO BACK TO ALL FEMALE. IT’S NEVER JUST MALE WHICH IS ODD. BUT WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO ASK IS DOES ANY 1 KNOW HOW OLD IS THE LONGEST LIVING PERSON WITH CROHN’S? I WAS DIAGNOSED IN 1980 AT 18 YEARS OLD NOW 48 1/2 YEARS OLD 31 YEARS LATER. IF ANY ONE KNOWS PLEASE E-MAIL ME (ONLY SERIOUS PEOPLE PLEASE THIS IS NOT A JOKE TO ME!) cllh1983@yahoo.com. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SHARING YOUR LIFE WITH ME . I HOPE TO KEEP IN TOUGH WITH YOU VIA E-MAIL TO SEE HOW YOU ARE DOING. GOD BLESS & GOOD LUCK