Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease are lifelong conditions, most commonly presenting in young adults, adolescents and children and affecting men and women about equally. The diseases cause inflammation and ulceration in the colon and rectum (Ulcerative Colitis) or anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract (Crohn's Disease).

The main symptoms are very urgent and frequent diarrhoea, pain, profound fatigue and anaemia, with, for some patients, associated inflammation of the joints, skin, or eyes. Malnutrition and weight loss are common. The diseases follow an unpredictable relapsing and remitting course with significant variation in the pattern and complexity of symptoms that may affect each patient.

• About 240,000 people in the UK have IBD, approximately 400 patients per 100,000 population.
• The cost of IBD to the NHS has been estimated at about £720 million per annum, based on the prevalence and an average cost of £3,000 per year per patient.
• There is no cure. Cause is likely to be multifactorial, a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers.
• These are lifelong conditions and most commonly first present in the teens and twenties (25% present in adolescence; median age at diagnosis is 29.5 years).
• Men and women are diagnosed in equal numbers.
• Between 50% and 70% of patients with Crohn's Disease will undergo surgery within 5 years of diagnosis. In Ulcerative Colitis lifetime surgery rates are about 20-30%.
• Patients with extensive disease may develop complications which are potentially life-threatening.
• There is an established link between IBD and an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.
• The lifetime medical costs associated with the care of IBD can be comparable to major chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or cancer.