Mortality from inflammatory bowel diseases

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) may directly result in morbidity and rarely mortality from complications such as colorectal cancer or sepsis. Mortality rates compared with the matched general population, measured by standardized mortality ratio, may therefore be increased. This review examines the evidence derived from cohort- and population-based mortality studies. In CD the majority of studies and two meta-analyses demonstrated increased standardized mortality ratios of ≈ 1.5-fold, especially for those diagnosed at younger ages and requiring extensive or multiple resection surgery. In UC mortality rates are similar to those of the general population in most studies and a meta-analysis. Proctocolectomy removes the inflammatory burden of UC and can manage colorectal dysplasia but may result in perioperative complications. There is no clear temporal trend of improvement in survival for either CD or UC. Few data are available from countries outside Europe and North America, so geographical influences remain largely unknown.