A prospective epidemiologic study of Crohn's disease in Heraklion, Crete. Incidence over a 5-year period.

Background: There has been an impression from published work that Crohn's disease is less common in southern than in northern Europe. A low incidence of Crohn's disease has been observed in Greece, but conclusive data are still lacking.

Method: A 5-year prospective and population-based epidemiologic study of Crohn's disease was carried out in a well-defined area of Crete.

Results: The mean annual incidence of the disease for the years 1990-94 was 3.0 per 10(5) inhabitants. During the study period the incidence increased from 1.9/10(5) in 1990 to 3.8/10(5) in 1994. The male to female ratio was 2.4:1. The age group 25-34 years had the highest age-adjusted incidence (6.3/10(5)). The incidence of Crohn's disease was also found to be higher in smokers, in urban areas, and in people with high educational level.

Conclusion: Crohn's disease is common in Heraklion, Crete. The findings of the study are discussed in relation to those of other European countries.