Feb 15, 2026
3 min read
With very negative results, many patients have difficulty in consistently and correctly following the prescribed treatment.But there are methods that help to fix this
Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis are more common (even in children).
A significant proportion of patients find it difficult to continue and properly follow the prescribed treatment, with very negative results.But there are strategies that help to fix it
There are almost seven million people in the world, of which 300 thousand in Italy, living with chronic inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which represent the two main forms.The number is growing (in the last ten years it has increased 20 times), and what worries experts are especially those related to the youngest, considering that already today one in two thousand children lives with one of these pathologies.on the one hand, there is good news (there are many scientific achievements that have led to the introduction of more and more effective therapies), on the other hand, an important problem has appeared that needs to be solved: a large part of patients, between 30 and 60 percent, has difficulty in continuously and correctly following the prescribed treatments.
It's like traveling with an unpleasant companion
"Kao što im ime govori, IBD su kronične upalne bolesti crijeva, što znači da se s njima mora živjeti cijeli život - objašnjava Salvo Leone, generalni direktor udruge pacijenata AMICI Onlus Italia -. To su općenito stanja u kojima se izmjenjuju faze remisije (tijekom kojih patologija nestaje ili ne osjećam nikakve simptome) i razdoblja pogoršanja. Ukratko, imati kroničnu upalnu bolest crijeva je poput putovanja s vrlo neugodnim pratilac, nadajući se da uvijek spava jer kad se probudi, to može bitiunbearable."Nažalost, liječenje je složeno i gotovo polovica pacijenata je na polifarmaciji, odnosno uzima više lijekova, a to značajno povećava rizik od nepridržavanja zbog složenosti liječenja i nuspojava koje ih izazivaju.pojavljuju se tri ključne teme: potreba za pojednostavljenjem terapije, teškoće u održavanju motivacije za samoliječenje u odsutnosti simptoma i izazovi vezani uz prihvaćanje bolesti, osobito među najmlađima.
Negative consequences if the treatment is not followed properly
"Adherence to poor treatment is a problem that is often unpredictable, but with serious medical and social consequences," said Alessandro Armuzzi, chief operating officer of the IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas in Milan.Failure to follow the doctor's prescription treatment significantly increases (even five times) the risk of the disease reappearing.In addition, uncontrolled inflammation contributes to the irreversible damage to the gastrointestinal tract: this accelerates the progression of the disease and, as a result, leads to frequent hospitalizations (up to 80% more).Thus, as shown by the responses to the surveys of those directly involved, their quality of life deteriorated significantly."Not to mention that this vicious circle is causing additional costs for national health services, leading to greater access to health care and up to 50% more treatment costs."
Oral medicine once a day is better
So what to do?Three additional findings emerge from the survey.First, simplifying and personalizing treatment as much as possible increases compliance: 75% of those surveyed prefer oral medications, and most (when possible) only prefer once-daily medications.Another fundamental factor is the decision-making process between doctor and patient, who are more inclined to respect prescribed treatment if they feel appropriate.Psychological support is no less important, as those who receive it have 30% more compliance and 40% less exacerbations compared to those who do not receive the support of a psychologist. "Clear, kind and personalized communication promotes the patient's understanding and strengthens confidence in the path taken, which will last a lifetime - explains David's doctors. It should not be limited to offering treatment, but should really take into account the patient's lifestyle, his realneeds to be adapted according to the needs, his age and the level of understanding of the language and method, with the participation of family members when necessary (especially for the elderly, the last step may seem obvious, but when necessary for patients, it is not very useful." about curing the disease, but about building a truly sustainable, common and truly accessible path.
Irritable bowel syndrome is here
There are people who confuse it with irritable bowel syndrome, but IBD is much more serious and can seriously compromise the quality of life of those affected, with symptoms such as persistent diarrhea (with or without blood), persistent abdominal pain, intestinal bleeding, loss of appetite and weight loss.Leonek-.So many arrive late with the diagnosis, perhaps years later, for an acute event that scares them only after a trip to the emergency room."Youth certainly does not help, since the peak appearance of these pathologies is between 20 and 30 years, but statistics show that there are more and more cases even among children (among children they replace a new diagnosis in four adults and get worse).
therapy and surgery
Ignoring the warning signs and early diagnosis is very important to start treatment immediately and prevent the situation from worsening.All the more so that today there are finally treatments: we can use aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, antibiotics, immunosuppressants (such as azathioprine or methotrexate), biological drugs and new "small molecules" - says Alessandro Armuzzi."healing" of the intestinal mucosa and the absence of disability, improving the quality of life without the need to resort to surgery." If drug therapy is not sufficient to relieve symptoms or complications occur, the doctor can assess the need for surgery: "The choice of clinical condition depends on the condition and severity of the patient's disease."In the case of disease, surgery is not conclusive, but is used to overcome complications such as stenosis and fistulas, often with short-term benefit due to the risk of relapse in nearby areas, the expert explains.
