Diverticulitis Is on the Rise in the U.S.

In a population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, the incidence of diverticulitis in 2000–2007 was 53% higher than it was in 1980–1989. The incidence increased fastest between these time periods in people aged <50 years — by 85% and 132% in persons aged 30 to 39 years and 40 to 49 years, respectively. The cumulative recurrence rates after the first episode were 8% at 1 year, 17% at 5 years, and 22% at 10 years. Following the second episode, recurrence rates were 19% at 1 year, 44% at 5 years, and 55% at 10 years. After three episodes, the recurrence rates were 24% at 1 year and 40% at 3 years, suggesting that some individuals fit a pattern of multiple recurrences.

The overall rate of complications (abscess, peritonitis, obstruction, …