North Raleigh Today

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine have published a study revealing the staggering costs of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in the United States. In 2021 alone, healthcare expenditures related to gastrointestinal health reached $111.8 billion. The report, spearheaded by gastroenterologist Dr. Anne Peery, highlights the burden on patients, healthcare professionals, and the system as a whole.

Dr. Peery and her team, in a study spanning three years, collected data on various aspects of GI health, including symptoms, hospitalizations, and funding for research. The report, published in the journal Gastroenterology, outlines the pressing need for advancements in the prevention and treatment of GI conditions. Dr. Peery emphasized the importance of innovation in GI medicine, stating, “Funding innovative GI science and supporting the practice of GI medicine are critical to meeting the burden of GI illness.”

Key findings from the study show that about 60% of U.S. adults reported experiencing one or more frequent GI symptoms over the past three months. Abdominal pain was cited as the leading cause for doctor or emergency room visits, with over 23 million such visits in 2019. Alarmingly, the incidence of pancreatic cancer is on the rise with mortality rates remaining unchanged, while deaths from alcohol-associated liver disease are increasing.

Additionally, the study noted substantial expenditures of $30.9 billion for GLP-1 agonists, a cutting-edge therapy for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), in 2021. Conforming with new colorectal cancer screening guidelines, colonoscopy rates doubled in adults aged 40 to 49 by 2022. The year 2023 witnessed a record number of 10,660 liver transplants performed in the United States. That same year, $3.6 billion was allocated by the National Institutes of Health for GI research.

The report was a collaborative effort that included researchers Chelsea Anderson, Dr. Sasha Deutsch-Link, Dr. Matthew D. Egberg, Dr. Evan S. Dellon, Dr. Olafur S. Palsson, Dr. Todd H. Baron, Dr. Andrew M. Moon, Dr. Nicholas J. Shaheen, and Dr. Robert S. Sandler, all affiliated with the UNC School of Medicine. Their collective work serves to highlight the significant and growing concerns surrounding GI diseases in the United States.