Skip to main content

Spatiotemporal Mapping IDs Four Stages of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Evolution

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 6, 2025.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, May 6, 2025 -- Machine learning has enabled spatiotemporal mapping of the four stages of the evolution of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study published online April 30 in Nature.

Lindsay Hracs, Ph.D., from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and colleagues identified 522 population-based studies encompassing 82 global regions and spanning more than a century (1920 to 2024) to show spatiotemporal transitions across IBD stages 1 to 3 and model stage 4 progression using machine learning.

The researchers report that developing regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are likely in stage 1 (emergence) and transitioning to stage 2 (acceleration in incidence) following economic growth, industrialization, urbanization, and changes in lifestyle and diet. Countries in North America, Europe, and Oceania are currently in stage 3 (compounding prevalence), with a growing number of people living with IBD, including an increasing proportion of seniors. The prevalence of IBD will continue to rise as people live longer with the disease. However, the rate of growth is expected to slow, with an aging population, and will move toward stage 4 (prevalence equilibrium), where new diagnoses are gradually balanced by age-related deaths.

"The findings enable health authorities to prepare for IBD's growing burden and tailor interventions -- whether clinical, policy driven, or preventive," principal author Gilaad G. Kaplan, M.D., also from the University of Calgary, said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Racialized Economic Segregation Linked to Advanced Cancer Diagnosis

FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- People living in racially and economically segregated neighborhoods are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast and cervical cancer...

New Subtype of Diabetes Identified in Sub-Saharan Africans, Black Americans

FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- A new diabetes subtype has been identified in Sub-Saharan Africans and Black Americans, according to a study published online July 21 in The Lancet...

Changes in Missouri Law Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Screening Rates

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Changes in Missouri law expanding breast cancer screening coverage have led to increased screening rates among Medicaid patients and an increased...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.