Elderly-Onset and Adult-Onset Ulcerative Colitis Are More Similar than Previously Reported in a Nationwide Cohort

Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease with steroid-sparing medications is age-dependent - Results from a Danish nationwide cohort study, 2000-2018

BACKGROUND

Paediatric-onset and elderly-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) present unique treatment challenges.

AIMS

We investigated treatment patterns following a first and second course of systemic steroids in paediatric- and elderly-onset IBD and compared them to adult-onset IBD.

METHODS

All patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) between 2000 and 2018 were identified through the Danish healthcare registries. Patients were divided into groups based on their age at diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier plots were prepared for medications and surgeries after diagnosis and after the first and second courses of systemic steroids. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariate Cox regression analysis for steroid-sparing medications.

RESULTS

1851 CD (13%) and 1687 (6%) UC patients were paediatric-onset, while 2952 (20%) CD and 5812 (23%) UC patients were elderly-onset. Paediatric-onset more frequently received immunomodulators [CD: HR: 1.64, CI: 1.52-1.77, UC: HR: 2.29, CI: 2.02-2.61] and biologics [CD: HR: 1.43, CI: 1.25-1.65, UC: HR: 1.27, CI: 0.99-1.64], while elderly-onset less frequently received immunomodulators [CD: HR: 0.39, CI: 0.35-0.44, UC: HR: 0.58, CI: 0.50-0.67] and biologics [CD: HR: 0.19, CI: 0.14-0.25, UC: HR: 0.36, CI: 0.27-0.48] compared to adult-onset age groups. After two courses of systemic steroids, elderly-onset still received less steroid-sparing medications. High frailty was associated with lower usage of medications for elderly-onset.

CONCLUSION

There are significant differences in the use of steroid-sparing medication between age of onset, even after two courses with systemic steroids. High frailty could account for some of these differences in elderly-onset IBD.

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 few years, knowledge on this special older population has increased, changing initial beliefs concerning epidemiology and course of disease. In the present review, we addressed 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.

Colectomy rates in ulcerative colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical management in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is typically utilised in medically refractory cases and, therefore, it is a useful marker for efficacy of medical management.

AIMS

To understand the changing prevalence of colectomy in UC over time.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE (1946-2021), EMBASE and EMBASE classic (1947-2021) to identify studies with a population of n>500 that reported colectomy rates in UC patients >18 years old. The primary outcome was the prevalence of colectomy at 1-, 5- and 10-years post-diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included colectomy rates in the pre-biologics (defined as pre-2004) and post-biologics eras (defined as post-2004).

RESULTS

Thirty-one studies with 294,359 patients with UC were included for review and meta-analysis. The prevalence of colectomy at 1-, 5- and 10-years post-diagnosis were 3% (95% CI 2%-6%), 5% (95% CI 2%-9%), 10% (95% CI 6%-16%) respectively. The pooled relative risk for colectomy in the post-biologics era was 0.68 (95% CI 0.42 to 1.09, p=0.10) at 1-year and 0.71 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.91, p<0.01) at 5-years post-diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The overall colectomy rate has decreased over the past three decades. Biologics may have played a role in reducing the risk of colectomy, however the relative risk reduction is likely to be modest.

Ulcerative Colitis in Adulthood and in Older Patients: Same Disease, Same Outcome, Same Risks?

The number of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) approaching an older age, together with the number of over-60-year-old patients newly diagnosed with IBD, is steadily increasing, reaching 25% of all patients. The present review focuses on late-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) and its initial disease course in comparison with that observed in younger adults in terms of extension at onset and the risk of proximal disease progression, medical treatment, surgery and hospitalization in the first years after diagnosis. We summarize the clues pointing to a milder disease course in a population which frequently presents major frailty due to comorbidities. With increasing age and thus increasing comorbidities, medical and surgical therapies frequently represent a challenge for treating physicians. The response, persistence, and risks of adverse events of conventional therapies indicated for late onset/older UC patients are examined, emphasizing the risks in this particular population, who are still being treated with prolonged corticosteroid therapy. Finally, we concentrate on data on biotechnological agents for which older patients were mostly excluded from pivotal trials. Real-life data from newer agents such as vedolizumab and ustekinumab show encouraging efficacy and safety profiles in the population of older UC patients.

Safety and Efficacy of Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Older Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: Patient-Level Pooled Analysis of Data From Randomized Trials

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Treatment of older patients (more than 60 years) with ulcerative colitis (UC) can be a challenge, because they might be more vulnerable to adverse events (AEs). We determined the effects of age on the safety and efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in a pooled analysis of data from randomized trials.

METHODS

We obtained individual patient-level data from 4 trials of anti-TNF therapy for patients with UC from the Yale Open Data Access Project. Participants were assigned to groups of older age (60 years or older) and younger age (younger than 60 years). The primary outcome was difference in serious AEs (SAEs), defined as death, life-threatening event, hospitalization, and/or significant disability. Secondary outcomes were severe infections, non-severe infections, neoplasms, and achievement of clinical remission, defined by trial investigators as Mayo score ≤ 2 with no sub-score >1 at the end of induction or maintenance therapy. A random effects logistic regression model was fitted to estimate the effect of anti-TNF therapy on safety and efficacy by age, adjusting for confounders and trial-level effects.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 2257 patients (231 60 years or older). Higher proportions of older patients receiving anti-TNF therapy had SAEs (20%) and hospitalizations (14.4%), compared with younger patients (10.2% had SAEs and 5.2% were hospitalized); there were no significant differences between groups in proportions with severe or non-severe infections. Compared with placebo, there was no significant difference in safety risks associated with anti-TNF therapy (SAEs reduced by 5.4% in older patients vs reduction of 2.4% in younger patients; hospitalizations reduced by 6.7% in older patients vs reduction of 2.5% in younger patients; severe infections reduced by 3.1% vs increase of 0.7% in younger patients). There was no significant difference in between older vs younger patients in efficacy of anti-TNF therapy in inducing remission (odds risk ratio, 1.05, 95% CI, 0.33-3.39) or in maintaining remission (odds risk ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.18-1.33).

CONCLUSIONS

In a pooled analysis of data from randomized trials, we found that older patients with UC have an increased baseline increased risk of SAEs, but no increase in risk can be attributed to anti-TNF therapy in older vs younger patients.

Incidence and Treatment of Patients Diagnosed With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at 60 Years or Older in Sweden

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is increasing among elderly persons (60 years or older). We performed a nationwide population-based study to estimate incidence and treatment of IBD.

METHODS

We identified all incident IBD cases in Sweden from 2006 through 2013 using national registers and up to 10 matched population comparator subjects. We collected data on the patients' health care contacts and estimated incidence rates, health service burden, pharmacologic treatments, extra-intestinal manifestations, and surgeries in relation to age of IBD onset (pediatric, <18 years; adults, 18-59 years; elderly, ≥60 years).

RESULTS

Of 27,834 persons diagnosed with incident IBD, 6443 (23%) had a first diagnosis of IBD at 60 years or older, corresponding to an incidence rate of 35/100,000 person-years (10/100,000 person-years for Crohn's disease, 19/100,000 person-years for ulcerative colitis, and 5/100,000 person-years for IBD unclassified). During a median follow-up period of 4.2 years (range, 0-9 years), elderly patients had less IBD-specific outpatient health care but more IBD-related hospitalizations and overall health care use than adult patients with IBD. Compared with patients with pediatric or adult-onset IBD, elderly patients used fewer biologics and immunomodulators but more systemic corticosteroids. Occurrence of extra-intestinal manifestations was similar in elderly and adult patients, but bowel surgery was more common in the elderly (13% after 5 years vs 10% in adults) (P < .001). The absolute risk of bowel surgery was higher in the elderly than in the general population, but in relative terms, the risk increase was larger in younger age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In a nationwide cohort study in Sweden, we associated diagnosis of IBD at age 60 years or older with a lower use of biologics and immunomodulators but higher absolute risk of bowel surgery, compared with diagnosis at a younger age. The large differences in pharmacologic treatment of adults and elderly patients are not necessarily because of a milder course of disease and warrant further investigation.