Epidemiology and clinical course of late onset inflammatory bowel disease

With the increasing age of the general population in developed countries, the management of several chronic diseases becomes more and more complex due to comorbidities. Some, especially inflammatory bowel diseases, formerly believed to belong to the young adult population, have now been recognized as being present at disease onset also in the ageing population, representing medical challenges different from those in the younger population. In the past years, knowledge on this special older population has increased, changing initial beliefs concerning epidemiology and course of disease. In the present review, we will address the most recent evidence concerning their current incidence compared with other age groups, their clinical course, potential risk factors for the development of late-onset IBDs, associated diseases, and cancer risk beyond therapy-related neoplasias.