Abstract
This narrative review summarizes data on prediction and prevention of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). With increasing incidence, low natural mortality and increasing life expectancy, we can expect IBD that prevalence will soon reach about 1%.
This in combination with high therapeutic costs means that IBD represent a significant health problem, which is expected to increase in the near future. The identification of IBD development mechanisms has led to an increasing prediction accuracy.
This is opening a new field for therapeutic interventions in early stages of IBD development. We describe some of the essential prediction models and prevention programs that are under way or could be introduced in future.