|
|
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term that includes Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative Colitis. It affects about 1 in 200 (mostly young) people in the UK. It can make sufferers quite weak, typically giving them abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and lethargy. The symptoms can be extreme enough to affect all aspects of day to day living.
There are a range of treatments which can be employed however many have toxic side effects which often outweigh the benefits. The response to the various treatments can be variable and sometimes what works in one person will not work in others. All too often sufferers need major surgery - more than 50% with Crohn’s disease and 15-30% with ulcerative colitis. There is no known cure and moreover we do not currently know what causes these diseases to develop. |
Launched in the UK the focus of the study is towards understanding how diet, lifestyle and the bacteria in your gut influence flare and recovery in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. To achieve this we are looking to recruit 3100 people in remission from Crohns or Colitis (illness under control). We plan to follow the disease course of these individuals over 2 years whilst collecting information on the food they eat, their lifestyle and their gut bacteria. Accordingly, it may be possible to find a link between these factors and the severity of each participant’s symptom flares.
|
Where can you find us?
|