Severe colon disorder on the rise in younger patients

London: Serious cases of a disorder of the large intestine are surging among Americans younger than 50, researchers say.

Analyzing data on more than 5.2 million adults hospitalized for diverticulitis from 2005 to 2020, they found that the proportion of patients under age 50 admitted with serious complications increased from 18.5% to 28.2%.

Furthermore, patients under age 50 who were hospitalized for diverticulitis were more likely to require invasive procedures, with 29% higher odds of needing surgery to remove part of the colon and 58% higher odds of requiring insertion of a catheter to drain infected fluid, compared to their older counterparts, the researchers reported in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum.

Diverticulitis occurs when food particles, bacteria, and other debris accumula