Despite Rising Cases, Hispanic Americans Face Delays in IBD Treatment
Cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have increased in all races in the United States over the past two decades, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.But the disease — which includes both Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) — is still largely misdiagnosed in Hispanic Americans.A review published in July 2022 in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases outlined the disparities in IBD treatment and diagnosis among Black and Hispanic Americans that was previously discussed at a meeting held in December 2021 at Morehouse School of Medicine, in Atlanta.According to Julia Liu, MD, chief of the division of gastroenterology at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, who coauthored the paper, equitable patient care starts with recognizing IBD as a disease that can impact anyone. Dr. Liu says IBD has…