Warning signs could predict inflammatory bowel disease a decade before diagnosis

IBD has only been able to be treated at a later stage, but scientists found that the immune system leaves warning signs long before diagnosis. Photograph: Teodor Lazarev/Alamy

Patterns of antibodies in people’s blood could predict the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) a decade before diagnosis, according to research that raises hopes for catching the condition early.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of IBD, are typically treated only after symptoms appear, when the gut has already been damaged. But scientists found that the immune system sends warning signals up to a decade before diagnosis, paving the way for potentially earlier detection and even prevention.