| Disease | Prevalence Estimate | US people estimate | Statistic Used for Calculation |
| Digestive Diseases (overall) |
approx 1 in 4 or 22.06% or 60 million people in USA |
59,999,997 |
60 to 70 million cases in the USA 1985 (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447)
|
| Chronic digestive diseases |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| irritable bowel syndrome |
approx 1 in 54 or 1.84% or 5 million people in USA |
4,999,999 |
5 million in the USA 1987 (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447, US Government Printing Office, 1994);
11 per 1000 (NHIS95)
|
| inflammatory bowel disease |
approx 1 in 500 or 0.20% or 544,000 people in USA |
544,000 |
1 in 500 (NIAID); 300,000 people to 500,000 people NIDDK
|
| Crohn's disease |
approx 1 in 544 or 0.18% or 500,000 people in USA |
499,999 |
500,000 Americans
|
| ulcerative colitis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| gastroparesis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| diabetic gastroparesis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| diabetic diarrhea |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Celiac disease |
approx 1 in 249 or 0.40% or 1.1 million people in USA |
1,088,000 |
1 in 250 Americans estimated rate; actual diagnosis rate is 1 in 4,700 Americans; 1 in 250 in Italy; 1 in 300 in Ireland; 20,000 diagnosed (Reader's Digest Feb 2004)
|
| Lactose Intolerance |
approx 1 in 9 or 11.03% or 30 million people in USA |
29,999,998 |
30 million people to 50 million people (NIDDK 1994); about 25% of population (1994/NIDDK)
|
| Cystic Fibrosis |
approx 1 in 31,000 or 0.00% or 8,774 people in USA |
8,774 |
1 per 31,000 Asian American newborns suffer from cystic fibrosis in the US, genetics Home Reference website
|
| Sudden Digestive Diseases |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| gastroenteritis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| diarrhea |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| traveler's diarrhea |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| constipation |
approx 1 in 61 or 1.62% or 4.4 million people in USA |
4,399,999 |
4.4 million people in the USA 1983-87 (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447, NIDDK, 1994)
|
| Achalasia |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Acute Nonulcer dyspepsia |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Acute Pancreatitis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Amebic dysentery |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Anthrax |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Bacterial digestive infections |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Behcet's Disease |
N/A |
N/A |
rare in the USA; more common in Middle East, Asia, and Japan.
|
| Bowel Obstruction |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Carcinoid of Gastrointestinal Tract |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Cholera |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Chronic Nonulcer dyspepsia |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Chronic Pancreatitis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Colic |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Colonic volvulus |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Colorectal cancer |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Cryptosporiosis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Dysentery |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Entamoeba histolytica |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Enterocolitis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Food intolerances |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Gallstones |
approx 1 in 17 or 5.88% or 16 million people in USA |
15,999,999 |
16 to 22 million people in the USA 1976-87 (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447, US Government Printing Office, NIDDK, 1994)
|
| Gas |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Gastric erosion |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease |
approx 1 in 33 or 3.00% or 8.2 million people in USA |
8,160,000 |
3-7% of the population in the USA 1985 for "GERD and related esophageal disorders" (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447, NIDDK, 1994)
|
| Gastrointestinal Anthrax |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Giardia |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Headache-free migraine |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Heartburn |
approx 1 in 18 or 5.51% or 15 million people in USA |
14,999,999 |
15 million Americans have it daily (NIDDK)
|
| Helicobacter pylori bacteria |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Hemolytic uremic syndrome |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Hirschsprung's disease |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Indigestion |
approx 1 in 28 or 3.50% or 9.5 million people in USA |
9,520,000 |
35 per 1000 - NHIS95 (frequent indigestion)
|
| Intestinal pseudo-obstruction |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Megacolon |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Nonulcer dyspepsia |
approx 1 in 46 or 2.13% or 5.8 million people in USA |
5,799,999 |
5.8 million people in the USA 1988 (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447, 1994)
|
| Pancreatitis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Peptic Ulcer |
approx 1 in 54 or 1.84% or 5 million people in USA |
4,999,999 |
5 million in the USA 1987 (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447, 1994)
|
| Pyloric stenosis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Rapid gastric emptying |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Shigellosis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Small Intestine Cancer |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Sprue |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Stomach Cancer |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Sudden Digestive Conditions |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Tapeworms |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Viral digestive infections |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Viral dysentery |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Viral gastroenteritis |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Whipple's Disease |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Enteroviruses |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Infectious Diarrhea |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Malabsorption |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Digestive system cancer |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
| Chronic digestive conditions |
N/A |
N/A |
No information
|
60 to 70 million cases in the USA 1985 (Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447)
60 to 70 million
people affected by all digestive diseases
(1985) (Source: excerpt from
The medical term 'prevalence' of Digestive Diseases usually refers to the estimated population
of people who are managing Digestive Diseases at any given time,
whereas the annual diagnosis rate of new cases of Digestive Diseases is called the 'incidence'.
For more information on prevalence and incidence statistics, see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
Not too long ago doctors thought stomach ulcers were caused by stress and spicy foods. In 1982 researchers discovered a bacteria that changed our...
Gastric cancer, more commonly known as stomach cancer, is one of the most common cancers in the world. Learn more about this cancer and what...
The kitchen is where problems sometimes start and where solutions are often found for people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). For the latest on...
Few diseases generate as many misconceptions as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Listen to host Bettina Gregory and two...
See full list of 4 related videos