Mortality and Causes of Death in Ulcerative Colitis: Results from 20 Years of Follow-up in the IBSEN Study

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2016 Jan;22(1):141-5. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0000000000000582.

Abstract

Background: The best way to obtain knowledge about the natural history, including mortality, of ulcerative colitis (UC) is to conduct a longitudinal, population-based, prospective study. The aims of this study were to calculate the mortality rates and causes of death in patients with UC.

Methods: A prospective, population-based, longitudinal cohort study was conducted in South-Eastern Norway. A total of 519 patients (51.4% men) with UC were included over a 4-year period. A gastroenterologist from a university hospital reviewed the clinical information of all of the patients. Mortality data were retrieved from the Cause of Death Registry and from Statistics Norway.

Results: No statistically significant increases in total mortality or cause-specific mortality between the patients with UC and the controls were found.

Conclusions: The present 20-year population-based cohort study revealed a good prognosis regarding the mortality, which partially might be explained by the patients' coverage by a generally well-functioning health care system.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cause of Death
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / epidemiology
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / mortality*
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Norway / epidemiology
  • Prognosis
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Survival Rate