Jun 27, 2021 / 10:42 PM EDT
WORTHINGTON, Oh. (WCMH) Take Steps Columbus is an annual event focused on raising awareness and funding research to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) afflicts about 1.6 million Americans, with varying degrees of severity, ranging from occasional stomach cramps to frequent diarrhea, and sometimes gastrointestinal bleeding that results in anemia. More than half of those diagnosed with IBD eventually require one or multiple surgeries due to damage and scarring of the gastrointestinal tract from prolonged inflammation.
The cause of IBD has been linked to a genetic redisposition because the autoimmune illness sometimes runs in families, possibly triggered by environmental factors or an illness.