This Serious Gut Condition Is Mysteriously Rising in Younger Americans, Study Finds

A painful and serious gut problem is increasingly afflicting younger Americans, and no one’s sure why. Recent research shows that cases of severe diverticulitis among people under the age of 50 have substantially risen over the past two decades.

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, and others examined data from millions of Americans hospitalized by diverticulitis. They found that the proportion of severe, or complicated, diverticulitis cases in younger Americans noticeably increased between 2005 and 2020. The reasons for this surge are unclear, the researchers say.

“Additional research is needed to determine the cause of these trends and identify public health policies aimed at potentially preventing the increasing burden of diverticulitis among younger populations,”