Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Diseases, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Incapacitating, chronic, painful, taboo... digestive diseases currently affect almost one in five French people, often young people.
These little-known diseases are a serious public health issue, especially since their occurrence is inexplicably increasing. These chronic diseases are so far incurable. The pains they cause continue throughout life, affecting school, occupational, social, family and love life.
persons suffer from from a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in France. In 10% of cases, the disease onset occurs during childhood.
persons suffer from celiac disease in France.
of the population suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (mucous colitis)
It is mainly characterized by abdominal pains, diarrhea, chronic fatigue and weight loss that can last several weeks, or even months. In some cases, it may also cause extra digestive symptoms affecting the skin, joints, eyes, etc. Currently, there's no curative treatment available and no means of prevention. Medical options are so far limited to controlling the symptoms.
Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
Like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis (UC) is a painful and incapacitating condition that is part of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). As it does not affect the colon, the main symptoms are rectorrhagia (rectal bleeding), diarrhea and abdominal pains. With almost 3000 new cases every year, France is less concerned that its European neighbors. Current medicine can relieve the symptoms, but there is no medical treatment available to cure UC.
Celiac Disease (CD)
Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten, a protein found in most flours. It causes progressive destruction of the villi of the small intestine, which prevents the absorption of nutrients such as iron, calcium, folic acid, etc.
The most common form of the disease affects mainly children, with sometimes serious repercussions on their physical development.
To this date, besides a strict and lifelong diet, there is no treatment for this condition.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (mucous colitis)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a widespread condition that affects almost one French person in five during their lives.
Faced with this syndrome, medicine is so far powerless, both in terms of diagnosis (difficult diagnosis of exclusion) and in terms of treatment. Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms involved in this disease provide significant hopes for a therapy.