(Chiara Townley/ Medical News Today) — Researchers have developed a new test that can predict the severity of inflammatory bowel disease. The test will help allow for more personalized treatment plans in the future.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the term that doctors use to describe chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1.3% of adults in the United States have IBD.
Types of IBD include Crohn’s disease, which involves the lining of the digestive tract, and ulcerative colitis, which affects the lining of the large intestine and rectum.
The symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis may vary, depending on the severity of inflammation, but they usually involve diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss. (…)