Elderly Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Research Articles

Post-Discharge Outcomes of Elderly Patients Hospitalized for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flare Complicated by Clostridioides difficile Infection.

Elderly hospitalized patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare and concurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) are considered at high risk of IBD-related complications. We aimed to evaluate the short, intermediate, and long-term post-discharge complications among these patients. A retrospective multicenter cohort study assessing outcomes of elderly individuals (≥60 years) hospitalized for an IBD flare who were tested for CDI (either positive or negative) and discharged. The primary outcome was the 3-months post-discharge IBD-related complication rates defined as: steroid dependency, re-admissions (emergency department or hospitalization), IBD-related surgery, or mortality. We assessed post-discharge IBD-related complications within 6-months and mortality at 12-months among secondary outcomes. Risk factors for complication were assessed by multivariable logistic regression. In a cohort of 654 patients hospitalized for IBD (age 68.9 [interquartile range {IQR}]:63.9-75.2) years, 60.9% ulcerative colitis), 23.4% were CDI-positive. Post-discharge complication rates at 3 and 6-months, and 12-months mortality, did not differ significantly between CDI-positive and CDI-negative patients (32% vs. 33.1%, p=0.8; 40.5% vs. 42.5%, p=0.66; and 4.6% vs. 8%, p=0.153, respectively). The Charlson comorbidity index was the only significant risk factor for complications within 3-months (aOR 1.1), whereas mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid [5-ASA]) use was protective (aOR 0.6). An ulcerative colitis diagnosis was the sole risk factor for complication at 6-months (aOR 1.5). CDI did not significantly impact outcomes or interact with IBD type. In elderly IBD patients hospitalized for IBD flare and subsequently discharged, a concurrent CDI infection was not associated with post-discharge IBD-related complications or mortality up to 1-year.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in the Elderly: A Focus on Disease Characteristics and Biological Therapy Patterns.

Background: The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) in elderly patients is constantly increasing. It results from the combination of an aging population with compounding prevalence of IBD, as well as the growing burden of elderly-onset IBD. The clinical characteristics of elderly patients differ from young subjects with IBD due to the multimorbidity or polypharmacy, affecting the choice of adequate therapeutic options. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical aspects and biological therapy safety in elderly Polish IBD patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study aimed at describing the demographic, clinical, and management characteristics of IBD patients treated with a biological therapy in two referral centers within the National Drug Program in Poland. Results: Out of the entire group of 366 studied patients, 51 (13.9%) were aged over 60-32 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 19 with Crohn's disease (CD). The disease location was predominantly ileocolonic (57.89%) in patients with CD and pancolitis for patients with UC (56.25%). Most of the elderly IBD subjects were characterized by significant comorbidities, with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥ 1 in 66.67% patients. The probability of stopping biological therapy due to adverse events had the tendency to be higher in the CCI ≥ 1 group (20.58% vs. 5.88% in CCI = 0; p = 0.087). The main reasons for the therapy discontinuation included hypersensitivity reactions and liver enzyme abnormalities. Conclusions: In conclusion, our results underline the importance of assessing the comorbidity status instead of the age prior to initiating biological therapy, analyzing additional safety risks, and close monitoring in IBD patients with multiple comorbidities.

Elderly inflammatory bowel disease patients: patient and disease characteristics

Elderly inflammatory bowel disease patients: patient and disease characteristics

Burden of delirium on mortality and healthcare resource utilization in geriatric patients hospitalized for inflammatory bowel disease

Background Delirium is prevalent in elderly patients, linked to elevated mortality rates, heightened healthcare resource use, and caregiver burden. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) poses various delirium risk factors, yet the impact on geriatric IBD patient outcomes remains unexplored. Methods Using 2016–2019 National Inpatient Sample data, we identified ≥65-year-old patients admitted for IBD (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis) management stratified by delirium presence as a secondary diagnosis. The study aimed to assess delirium’s impact on geriatric IBD patient outcomes. Results Among 67,534 elderly IBD admissions, 0.7% (470) developed delirium. The delirium group had a 4.8-fold increase in in-hospital mortality risk (odds ratio 4.80, P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.94–11.8). IBD patients with delirium experienced prolonged length of stay (adjusted mean difference 5.15 days, 95% CI 3.24–7.06, P < 0.001) and increased care costs (adjusted mean difference $48,328, 95% CI $26,485–$70,171, P < 0.001) compared to those without delirium. Conclusion Elderly IBD patients with delirium face higher mortality risk, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs. Clinicians should recognize delirium’s detrimental effects in this vulnerable group and adhere to preventive protocols for improved care.

RETROSPECTIVE, SINGLE-CENTER, REAL-WORLD ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGIC AND IMMUNOMODULATOR THERAPY DISCONTINUATION IN ELDERLY IBD PATIENTS

Abstract BACKGROUND The population of elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is increasing each year, however use of immunomodulators and biologic therapy in this population remains low. Clinical IBD drug trials limit enrollment of elderly patients. This leads to poor understanding of medication adverse effects and long-term outcomes in this population. Medication sustainability reflects drug efficacy and safety of drugs, which lead to better adherence. The primary aim of this study was to compare the discontinuation rates of various IBD therapies in a cohort of elderly patients and provide some guidance on positioning therapies within this population. METHODS This was a single-center retrospective study conducted at an academic institution. Elderly IBD patients 60 years or older followed between 2016-2022 were included in the study. Patients had to be on either immunomodulator and/or biologic therapy. Chart review was performed to extract demographic data, duration of IBD therapy, and reasons for discontinuation. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was generated per IBD therapy to depict drug sustainability stratified by reason for discontinuation. Statistical analysis was performed to assess for significant differences across survival curves. RESULTS A total of 224 elderly IBD patients were included in the study analysis. The cohort was comprised of 97 (43.3%) patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 127 (56.7%) patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). For both CD and UC, there were no significant differences in biologic drug discontinuation rates due to inadequate disease control (p=0.26 for CD; p=0.74 for UC). There was a significantly increased risk of elderly IBD patients stopping anti-TNF therapy due to medication adverse event compared to those on anti-integrin therapy (p=0.002) and immunomodulator therapy (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS While the number of biologics used to treat IBD has increased in the last few decades, there is a paucity of studies examining real world sustainability of biologics particularly in elderly patients. With regards to effectiveness, our study showed that there was no significant difference among the three classes of biologics being discontinued due to poorly controlled disease. However, results of our study suggest that anti-TNF therapy is less sustainable in elderly IBD patients compared to other biologics and immunomodulator therapy due to patient experienced adverse events. Our results are pertinent to clinical practice as prescribing biologics other than anti-TNF therapy may increase an elderly patient’s therapy longevity and lead to optimized clinical outcomes. Figure 1 shows time to biologic discontinuation due uncontrolled disease by IBD subtype. For both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, there was no significant difference in drug survival per biologic with regards to discontinuation due to inadequately controlled disease. Figure 2 shows time to therapy discontinuation due to patient experienced adverse events. This included infections, infusion reactions, systemic reactions, laboratory abnormalities, financial burden, and non-compliance. There was a significantly increased risk of elderly IBD patients stopping anti-TNF over time due to adverse events compared to those on anti-integrin and immunomodulator therapy.

P539 Assessment of VEdolizumab aNd Ustekinumab in Elderly patients with Crohn’s disease (CD): the IG-IBD AVENUE study

Abstract Background Comparative data regarding ustekinumab (UST) and vedolizumab (VDZ) effectiveness and safety in elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are limited. The aim of the present nationwide multicenter cohort study was to compare persistence and safety of these drugs in elderly versus non-elderly Italian IBD patients. Methods Data from 20 Italian centers were retrospectively collected. Based upon age and treatment, IBD patients aged ≥65 years were allocated to group 1 (G1) and group 3 (G3) (cases) if treated with UST or VDZ, respectively, and to group 2 (G2) and 4 (G4) (controls) if they were aged &amp;lt; 65 years and treated with UST or VDZ, respectively. The primary outcome was drug persistence at week 52. Propensity score analysis was performed for primary outcome using the inverse probability of treatment weighting method. Secondary outcomes included: steroid free remission (SFR) at week 52 and frequency of adverse events (AEs) at the end of follow-up. Results A total of 439 patients (176 elderly and 260 non-elderly) were included in the study. Among elderly patients, 93 and 83 were included in the group G1 and G3, respectively. Among non-elderly patients, 147 and 116 were included in the group G2 and G4, respectively. Baseline characteristics are represented in Table 1. No differences were found in terms of persistence between G1 vs G3, G1 vs G2 and G3 vs G4 (Figure 1). Higher baseline Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) (OR=2.09, 1.15 – 3.78; 0.015) and baseline steroid therapy (OR=1.10, 1.04 – 1.15; p&amp;lt;0.001) were identified as predictors of a lower drug persistence at Cox model. Steroid free remission at week 52 was achieved by 80% and 77% of elderly patients in G1 and in G3 (p=0.63), respectively. Similarly, no differences for SFR were found between G1 and G2 (p=0.73) and between G3 and G4 (p=0.68). Incidence rate for AEs were G1 and G2 were 7.85 and 7.90 respectively; for G3 and G4 IR were 5.81 and 12.50 respectively. No differences were found in the UST groups (IRR=0.99; p=0.98) while in VDZ-treated patients, non-elderly had a higher rate of AEs (IRR=0.46; p=0.006). Conclusion These data confirm that ustekinumab and vedolizumab are highly effective drugs in patients with IBD, associated with a good safety profile in both elderly and in non-elderly IBD patients.

P1174 The disease course of elderly patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease two years prior to their death

Abstract Background The number of elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Hence, more patients will be dying with their IBD. Limited research has examined the disease course of IBD in the aging body, particularly in the period preceding their death. The purpose of this study was to investigate the disease course of elderly IBD patients leading up to the end of their lives. Methods This was a nationwide population-based study using the national Danish registries. We used a validated algorithm to identify patients that were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and IBD unclassified (IBDU) in a period between 1976-2018 from the Danish National Patient Registry. This information was linked with other national Danish registers which provided data on dates of death, cancer, hospitalisations, and corticosteroid usage. We included 6,183 IBD patients aged 65 and above at death, with no cancer or palliative treatment at the time of death. We analysed IBD-related hospitalisations, corticosteroid usage, and disease relapses (defined as a combined endpoint of corticosteroid prescription and/or hospitalisation, or both), in the two-year period before death. Results We analysed CD, UC and IBDU patients separately, and observed a noticeable spike in hospitalisations, prescription rates of corticosteroids and disease relapses in the last two months before the IBD patients’ death. Out of 6,183 IBD patients, 954 (15.43%) were hospitalised in the last two years before their death (see Table 1 for key characteristics). In the last two months, hospitalisation rates were 139 (28.66%) for CD patients, 155 (23.96%) for UC patients and 83 (34.87%) for IBDU patients. Corticosteroids were prescribed to 1,054 (17.05%) out of 6,183 IBD patients, and in the last two months 90 (20.45%) CD patients, 149 (20.13%) UC patients, and 67 (19.36%) IBDU patients received a corticosteroid treatment. Overall, 1,652 (26.72%) IBD patients experienced a disease relapse two years preceding their death, and during the last two months, 553 (22.45%) CD patients, 194 (24.01%) UC patients and 228 (20.25%) IBDU patients experienced relapses. Conclusion During the two-year period prior to death, we observed that hospitalisation, prescription, and relapse rates were highest during the final two months of life. For better understanding of the disease course of elderly IBD patients, further research should investigate the cause of death and differences between early- and late disease-onset patients as well as establish a cohort for comparison.

Safety and Effectiveness of Vedolizumab and Ustekinumab in Elderly Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Real-Life Multicentric Cohort Study.

Data on ustekinumab and vedolizumab in the elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population are limited. The aim of the current study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of both in an elderly real-life population. A multicentric retrospective study was performed on IBD patients who started vedolizumab or ustekinumab between 2010 and 2020. Clinical and endoscopic remission rates and (serious) adverse events (AE) were assessed. A total of 911 IBD patients were included, with 171 (19%) aged above 60 (111 VDZ, 60 UST). Elderly patients treated with vedolizumab or ustekinumab had an increased risk for non-IBD hospitalization (10.5% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.021) and malignancy (2.3% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.045) compared to the younger population. Corticosteroid-free clinical (50% vs. 44%; p = 0.201) and endoscopic remission rates (47.9% vs. 31%, p = 0.07) at 1 year were similar. Comparing vedolizumab to ustekinumab in the elderly population, corticosteroid-free (47.9% vs. 31%, p = 0.061) and endoscopic remission rates (66.7% vs. 64.4%, p = 0.981) were similar. Vedolizumab- and ustekinumab-treated patients had comparable infection rates (13.5% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.504), IBD flare-ups (4.5% vs. 5%, p = 1.000), the occurrence of new EIMs (13.5% vs. 10%, p = 0.504), a risk of intestinal surgery (5.4% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.742), malignancy (1.8% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.613), hospitalization (9.9% vs. 11.7%, p = 0.721), and mortality (0.9% vs. 1.7%, p = 1.000). AE risk was associated only with corticosteroid use. Ustekinumab and vedolizumab show comparable effectiveness and safety in the elderly IBD population. Elderly IBD patients have an increased risk for non-IBD hospitalizations and malignancy compared to the younger IBD population, with corticosteroid use as the main risk factor.

Management of inflammatory bowel disease in the elderly: A review.

The burden of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is increasing worldwide, with a particular increase in the prevalence in the elderly population, due to the ageing of young-onset IBD as well as to the increasing incidence in elderly patients. Elderly IBD patients present specific challenges to the treating physician, as they have comorbidities, lower functional reserves, and higher risk of treatment-related complications. The diagnosis of IBD in the elderly may be difficult due to a more subtle disease presentation and to a wide range of differential diagnosis. Moreover, as these patients are often excluded from clinical trials, there is a lack of high-quality evidence to inform on the most appropriate management. Despite an increasing prevalence, the management of IBD in the elderly is still hindered by frequent misconceptions by physicians treating these patients. Due to a erroneous notion of a milder disease course and fear of adverse events, elderly IBD-patients are managed with frequent and continuous use of steroids and undertreated with effective medical therapies. In this review, we describe the principles of management of IBD in the elderly, which is a topic of increasing importance to IBD clinics, that will have to progressively adapt to care for an ageing population.

Risk of infection in elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease under biologics: A prospective, multicenter, observational, one-year follow-up comparative study

The emergence of biologics has improved the course of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in the elderly population despite a potential higher risk of infections. We conducted a one-year, prospective, multicenter, observational study to determine the frequency of occurrence of at least one infectious event in elderly IBD patients under anti-TNF therapy compared with that in elderly patients under vedolizumab or ustekinumab therapies . All IBD patients over 65 years exposed to anti-TNF, vedolizumab or ustekinumab therapies were included. The primary endpoint was the prevalence of at least one infection during the whole one year follow-up. Among the 207 consecutive elderly IBD patients prospectively enrolled, 113 were treated with anti-TNF and 94 with vedolizumab (n=63) or ustekinumab (n=31) (median age 71 years, 112 Crohn's disease). The Charlson index was similar between patients under anti-TNF and those under vedolizumab or ustekinumab as well as the proportion of patients under combination therapy and under concomitant steroid therapy did not differ between both both groups. The prevalence of infections was similar in patients under anti-TNF and in those under vedolizumab or ustekinumab (29% versus 28%, respectively; p=0.81). There was no difference in terms of type and severity of infection and of infection-related hospitalization rate. In multivariate regression analysis, only the Charlson comorbidity index (≥ 1) was identified as a significant and independent risk factor of infection (p=0.03). Around 30 % of elderly patients with IBD under biologics experienced at least one infection during the one-year study follow-up period. The risk of occurrence of infection does not differ between anti-TNF and vedolizumab or ustekinumab therapies, and only the associated comorbidity was linked with the risk of infection.

P596 Ustekinumab and anti-TNF agents are equally safe and effective in elderly Crohn's disease patients: A propensity adjusted multi-centre cohort study

Abstract Background Anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents are associated with increased infection risk among elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and thus alternative biologics may be preferable. Previous cohort studies have demonstrated a superior safety profile for vedolizumab compared to anti-TNF agents in the elderly. However, there is limited comparative data on the safety and effectiveness of ustekinumab in elderly IBD patients. We aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness of ustekinumab and anti-TNF agents in elderly Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. Methods Patients ≥60 years old who commenced ustekinumab or an anti-TNF agent for CD were included in this multi-centre retrospective cohort study. The primary outcome was time to development of any infection. Secondary outcomes included incidence of serious infections, defined as requiring hospitalisation and effectiveness assessed by treatment persistence and clinical response rates. We appropriately adjusted for confounders using propensity score matched analysis weighted by the inverse predicted probability of treatment weighting and performed a logistic regression analysis to assess factors associated with infections and treatment persistence. Results 83 patients treated with ustekinumab and 124 patients (30 infliximab and 94 adalimumab) treated with anti-TNF therapy were included. A greater proportion of patients treated with ustekinumab were on concomitant steroids at baseline (37% vs 7.3%, p&amp;lt;0.001). After propensity adjustment, the infection free survival at 12 months was comparable between ustekinumab and anti-TNF agents (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.58-1.07, p=0.128). Serious infection rate for ustekinumab was 7.55/100 patient years and 5.30/100 for anti-TNFs (p=0.3). None of the variables including Charlson co-morbidity index were associated with infection risk in a multi-variable model. Unadjusted treatment persistence rates at 12 months were lower for ustekinumab compared to anti-TNF agents (68.1% vs 82.8% respectively, p=0.020). After propensity adjustment, there was no difference in treatment persistence at 6 months (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.37-4.10, p=0.741) and 12 months (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.45-2.55, p=0.9). There was a significant reduction in HBI at 6 and 12 months compared to baseline in both groups (p&amp;lt;0.001). In a multivariable model, only concomitant thiopurine use was associated with treatment persistence at 12 months (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.2-30.3, p=0.049). Conclusion We observed comparable safety and effectiveness in a propensity score adjusted comparison of ustekinumab and anti-TNF treated elderly CD patients. The rates of serious infections were comparable between the two groups.

P231 Impact of age of Inflammatory Bowel Disease diagnosis on disease phenotype and severity in elderly patients

Abstract Background Up to fifteen percent of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are diagnosed after the age of 60 years (elderly onset-EO). Additionally, due to the ageing of population and the increasing prevalence of IBD the number of elderly patients (&amp;gt;60) with an earlier diagnosis (adult onset-AO) is rapidly increasing. We aimed to compare disease characteristics and management between EO and AO elderly IBD patients. Methods Data of a prospective longitudinal registry of IBD patients followed in a tertiary center over a ten-year period (2012-2022) were analyzed. Consecutive IBD patients aged over 60 years at study entry were included. They were divided into two groups according to their age at diagnosis &amp;lt;60 (AO) and ≥ 60 (ΕΟ) years. The two groups were compared as for their demographic and clinical characteristics, their treatment and outcomes (disease related surgeries, development of malignancy, death). Results Out of 1104 patients recorded in the IBD registry, 325 were currently ≥ 60 years old (29%) and among them 267 had complete data and were included in the study (Table 1). ΕΟ had 100 (37%) and ΑΟ 167 (63%). Median age at diagnosis (IQR) was 47 years (37-53) for AO and 66 years (62-71) for EO (p&amp;lt;0.0001) whereas median disease duration was 23 (15-31) and 9 (5-14) years respectively (P&amp;lt;0.0001). Male gender (AO:61%, EO:68%) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (AO: 60%, EO: 53%) predominated in both groups. Family history of IBD and extraintestinal manifestations were lower in the EO than the AO group (p=0.02 and p=0.01 respectively). UC localization was most commonly proctitis and left sided in both groups. CD was most often ileal in EO patients when compared with AO (p=0.028) and inflammatory phenotype was more prevalent in both groups (ΑΟ:69% and ΕΟ:79% respectively). Immunomodulators were less frequently used in EO (17% vs 40.8%, p=0.0001) which was not the case for biologics (40.1% vs 32%, p=0.18) and prednisolone (21.5% vs 16%, p=0.27). During a median disease duration of 16 (8-25) years, comparable rates of IBD-related surgeries (12.5% ΑΟ vs 9% EO) and total malignancies (18.5% ΑΟ vs 14% ΕΟ) were observed but there were more deaths in the ΕΟ group (20% vs 8.3%; p=0.0063). Conclusion There are some distinct differences in demographic, clinical characteristics, treatment and mortality between EO and AO elderly IBD patients. The comparable rates of biologic use and IBD-related surgeries probably indicate that EO-IBD does not have a mild disease course. The clinical implication of these findings needs further validation.

P292 Complications in elderly-onset Inflammatory Bowel Diseases – A population-based study from the epidemiological database of the Israeli IBD Research Nucleus (Epi-IIRN)

Abstract Background The population of elderly-onset (diagnosis &amp;gt;=65 years old) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is growing worldwide. Management of this population poses challenges, given the overall increased morbidity at the elderly age. Data related to complications in this population are limited. We performed a population-based study of elderly IBD patients to characterize complications compared with non -IBD matched individuals. Methods As part of the validated epidemiological cohort of the Israeli IBD Research Nucleus (epi-IIRN), we included all elderly-onset IBD patients (age at diagnosis &amp;gt;65 years) from the four Israeli health funds diagnosed from 1.1.2005 until 30.06.2020, covering 98% of the Israeli population. Each IBD case was matched at diagnosis to 3 non-IBD individuals by year of birth, sex, geographic district, and health fund. Comparison of incidence of pneumonia, osteoporotic fractures, bacteremia/septicemia and venous thromboembolism events were made. Time to complication was compared using the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, stratified by IBD subtype, sex and any exposure of &amp;gt;3 months to immunosuppressive IBD medications. Cox proportional hazard models were sought to explore complications risk adjusted by comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease and other diseases). Results A total of 2,163 elderly-onset IBD patients were identified (46% males; 48% with Crohn’s disease, median (IQR) age at inclusion 71 [68, 76] years, exposure to &amp;gt;3 months of systemic CS 25%, thiopurines 10%, methotrexate 3.3%, anti-TNF 10.2%, Vedolizumab 5.7%, Ustekinumab 1.7%) and compared to 6,489 matched non-IBD controls. Median (IQR) follow-up time was 74 (40, 118) months. Incidence rates of pneumonia, fractures, bacteremia and venous thromboembolism are shown in table 1. On univariate analysis event-free survival analyses were similar in IBD and controls in pneumonia (p=0.72), osteoporotic fractures (p=0.79), bacteremia (p=0.085) and venous thromboembolism (p=0.14) Figure 1. Survival analysis remained similar when stratified by sex, IBD subtype and drug exposure. Using the comorbidity adjusted Cox model, the overall HR of pneumonia was 1.04 (95% CI 0.835-1.294), for osteoporotic fractures was 1.026 (95% CI 0.815-1.293); of bacteremia 2.161 (95% CI 0.865-5.397) and of venous thromboembolism 0.579 (95% CI 0.272-1.23). Conclusion In this population-based nation-wide study elderly onset IBD was not associated with increased risk of pneumonia, bacteremia, venous thromboembolism, and osteoporotic fractures compared with matched non-IBD elderly individuals. Studies in other populations are still needed to assess complications risk in diverse populations.

Inflammatory bowel disease in the elderly: A focus on disease characteristics and treatment patterns.

As the population ages, the number of elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is expected to increase. The clinical features and therapeutic options for young and old patients may differ, as elderly IBD patients are likely to have different comorbidities and disease characteristics. The goal of this study was to examine the clinical aspects and therapeutic choices for elderly Saudi IBD patients. We conducted a retrospective study aimed at describing the demographic, clinical, and management characteristics of IBD in elderly patients (≥60 years) who followed up at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The data was extracted from the KAUH inflammatory bowel disease information system (IBDIS) registry. The primary outcome was to describe disease characteristics in accordance with the Montréal classification and the secondary outcomes were to describe treatment patterns and identify significant clinical associations. Our data were collected from 76 patients who fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Females outnumbered males (53.9% vs 46.1%) and the mean age was 51.5 ± 9.7 years. Essential hypertension (26.3%) was the most common comorbidity followed by diabetes mellitus (23.6%), and malignant neoplasms (9.21%). More than half of the patients with Crohn's disease (CD) had disease onset after forty years of age. The most common form of disease distribution was ileocolonic disease (64.7%). Less than 17% of patients had a penetrating disease phenotype. About 88 percent of patients with UC presented >40 years of age. Approximately, half of the cohort had left-sided ulcerative colitis (UC) (48%), followed by pancolitis (40%). The most prescribed medication class for IBD was 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) derivatives (56.58%) followed by corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs. In Saudi Arabia, age-specific concerns including comorbidities and polypharmacy remain the major challenges in the management of elderly IBD patients.

Ustekinumab and Vedolizumab Are Equally Safe and Effective in Elderly Crohn's Disease Patients.

Anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents are associated with increased infection risk among elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, and thus, alternative biologics may be preferable. However, little comparative data exist on the safety and efficacy of vedolizumab and ustekinumab in elderly IBD patients. To compare the safety and effectiveness of ustekinumab and vedolizumab in elderly Crohn's disease patients. Patients ≥ 60years old who commenced ustekinumab or vedolizumab for Crohn's disease (CD) were included. Primary outcome was serious infections, defined as requiring hospitalisation. Efficacy was assessed by treatment persistence and clinical response rates. We appropriately adjusted for confounders using propensity score-matched analysis weighted by the inverse predicted probability of treatment weighing and performed a logistic regression analysis to assess factors associated with serious infections and treatment persistence. Eighty-three patients commencing ustekinumab and 42 commencing vedolizumab therapy were included. In a propensity adjusted cohort, the rate of serious infection and treatment persistence were comparable between ustekinumab and vedolizumab. There was a significant reduction in HBI at 6 and 12months compared to baseline in both groups. Male gender was positively associated with serious infection risk at 12months, and penetrating disease behaviour was positively associated with 12-month treatment persistence. Baseline HBI score was negatively associated with 12-month treatment persistence. Cox regression analysis showed no overall difference in treatment discontinuation-free and serious infection-free survival by 12months. We observed comparable safety and effectiveness for ustekinumab and vedolizumab in treating elderly CD patients.

Effectiveness, safety, and drug sustainability of biologics in elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUNDBiologic therapy resulted in a significant positive impact on the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) however data on the efficacy and side effects of these therapies in the elderly is scant.AIMTo evaluate retrospectively the drug sustainability, effectiveness, and safety of the biologic therapies in the elderly IBD population.METHODSConsecutive elderly (≥ 60 years old) IBD patients, treated with biologics [infliximab (IFX), adalimumab (ADAL), vedolizumab (VDZ), ustekinumab (UST)] followed at the McGill University Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center were included between January 2000 and 2020. Efficacy was measured by clinical scores at 3, 6-9 and 12-18 mo after initiation of the biologic therapy. Patients completing induction therapy were included. Adverse events (AEs) or serious AE were collected during and within three months of stopping of the biologic therapy.RESULTSWe identified a total of 147 elderly patients with IBD treated with biologicals during the study period, including 109 with Crohn’s disease and 38 with ulcerative colitis. Patients received the following biologicals: IFX (28.5%), ADAL (38.7%), VDZ (15.6%), UST (17%). The mean duration of biologic treatment was 157.5 (SD = 148) wk. Parallel steroid therapy was given in 34% at baseline, 19% at 3 mo, 16.3% at 6-9 mo and 6.5% at 12-18 mo. The remission rates at 3, 6-9 and 12-18 mo were not significantly different among biological therapies. Kaplan-Meyer analysis did not show statistical difference for drug sustainability (P = 0.195), time to adverse event (P = 0.158) or infection rates (P = 0.973) between the four biologics studied. The most common AEs that led to drug discontinuation were loss of response, infusion/injection reaction and infection.CONCLUSIONCurrent biologics were not different regarding drug sustainability, effectiveness, and safety in the elderly IBD population. Therefore, we are not able to suggest a preferred sequencing order among biologicals.

A143 SAFETY OF BIOLOGICAL THERAPIES IN ELDERLY IBD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

BackgroundThere was a significant progress in the medical therapy of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) with the advent of biological compounds, yet patients may experience adverse events(AE): infusion reactions, serious infections and malignancies, understudied in vulnerable patient populations (e.g. elderly).AimsOur aim was to perform a systematic review to assess the safety of the biologic therapies in the elderly IBD population.MethodsMedline databases and conferences proceedings were searched between January 1, 2010, and June 1, 2021. Two reviewers independently evaluated the collected studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Search was focused on IBD/CD/UC, any biological therapy, and adverse events in the elderly. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle– Ottawa Scale (NOS). This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA).ResultsOur search identified 2885 articles and 12 congress abstracts trough the data base search, finally 14 peer reviewed papers and 3 abstracts met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were retrospective, merging IBD patients, with an age limit of 60 or 65 years for elderly, from Europe or North America. The gender ratio was equal except in the USA veteran database. The identified studies collected safety data on anti-TNF therapy, vedolizumab and ustekinumab. We selected studies with at least 1 year follow-up period. Ranges of AE rates(infliximab/adalimumab 6–39/100patient-years (PY), vedolizumab 6–26/100 PY and ustekinumab 6–18.2/100 PY), infection rates (anti TNF 2.5–31/100PY, vedolizumab 2.6–77/100 PY and ustekinumab 5.2–35.7/100 PY) or infusion/injection reactions (anti TNF 0–14/100PY, vedolizumab 0.9–5/100 PY and ustekinumab 0–2.6/100 PY), were not different among the biological medication.ConclusionsWe report for the first time the comparative safety of biological therapies in elderly IBD patients. Ranges of adverse events or infections were wide but not different among the medications. Current data are insufficient to suggest prioritizing among biologicals in the elderly based on the safety, larger studies in elderly IBD patients are warranted.Funding AgenciesNone

P318 Safety of Biological Therapies in Elderly IBD: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract Background There was a significant progress in the medical therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD) with the advent of biological compounds, yet patients may experience adverse events(AE): infusion/injection reactions, infections and malignancies, understudied in vulnerable patient populations (e.g. elderly). Methods We systematically searched PubMed/Medline and conferences proceedings between January, 1, 2010, and June, 1, 2021, to identify eligible studies that examined the safety of biologic therapies in elderly patients with IBD. Two reviewers independently evaluated the collected studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Search was focused on MESH Terms including IBD/CD/UC, biological therapy, adverse events, infections, infusion/injection reaction and malignancy and elderly. Results Our search identified, 2885 articles and, 12 congress abstracts trough the data base search, finally, 14 peer reviewed papers and, 3 abstracts met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were retrospective, merging CD and UC patients, with an age limit of, 60 or, 65 years for elderly, from Europe or North America. According to our meta-analysis the rates of AE were not different according to the type of biologics (mean rate:, 11.3 (CI, 95%, 9.9–12.7)/100 pts years; p=0.11) in elderly IBD patients with the use of anti-TNF, vedolizumab(VDZ) and ustekinumab(UST). Similarly, rates of infection (mean rate:, 9.5 (CI, 95%, 8.4–10.6)/100 pts years; p=0.56). On the other hand, regarding infusion/injection rates were more common in patients on anti-TNFs (mean rate:, 2.51 (CI, 95%, 1.7–3.4/100 pts years; p=0.02) and malignancy rates were higher in elderly patients on VDZ/UST (mean rate:, 2.14 (CI, 95%, 1.6–2.8)/100 pts years; p=0.01). Two studies directly comparing anti-TNF and VDZ reported similar efficacy and safety in the elderly IBD population. (p=0.56; Total: reflects patient year of follow-up.) Conclusion We report the first meta-analysis on the comparative safety of biological therapies in elderly IBD patients. Rates of adverse events and infections were not different across the biologics. In contrast, infusion/injection reactions were more common in patients on anti-TNFs. Current data are insufficient to suggest sequencing among biologicals in the elderly based on the safety, larger studies in elderly IBD population are warranted.

P451 Evaluating drug sustainability, efficacy and safety of biologic agents in elderly patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a single center retrospective study

Abstract Background Despite the advancement in pharmacological management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), the efficacy and the side effects of the biologics are rarely studied in the elderly population. Our aim was to evaluate retrospectively the drug sustainability, efficacy, and safety of the biologic therapies in the elderly IBD population. Methods Consecutive elderly (&amp;gt; 60 years old) IBD patients, treated with biologics (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab) followed at the McGill University IBD Center were included between January 2000 and 2020. The efficacy of treatment was measured using clinical and biochemical parameters. Response and remission variables were measured at three distinct time points from the start date of the biologic agent, as in 3, 6–9 and 12–18 months. Patients required a minimal follow-up period of three months. Adverse events (AE) or serious adverse events (SAE) occurring within three months of the last biologic dose were considered to be related to the biologic agent. Results We identified a total of 147 elderly patients with IBD treated with biologic agents (109 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 38 ulcerative colitis (UC)). Disease location was predominantly ileocolonic (47.7%) in CD and pancolitis(63.2%) in UC. 47.6% of elderly IBD patients had attempted at least 1 biologic agent (Table1). The mean duration of biologic treatment was 157.5 (SD:148)weeks. Steroid exposure varied from 34% at the start of biologic therapy to 19% at 3 months, 16.3% at 6–9 months and 6.5% at 12–18 months.’ The remission rates at 3, 6–9 and 12–18 month were not significant between the biologic therapies. Kaplan-Meyer analysis did not show statistical difference for drug sustainability (p=0.195)(Figure1), time to adverse event (p=0.158) (Figure2) or infection rates (p=0.973) (Figure3) between all four biologics studied. The most common AEs led to discontinuation were loss of response, infusion or injection reaction and infection. Conclusion Current biologic therapies were not different with regards to drug sustainability and safety in the elderly IBD population. Based on these results, we are not able to suggest a preferred sequencing order among biologicals.

Long-term clinical outcome after thiopurine discontinuation in elderly IBD patients

Introduction and aim Thiopurines – although used frequently in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) – carry a significant safety risk, particularly with prolonged use and/or in elderly patients. Stopping therapy, however, may trigger relapses. We assessed the long-term outcome of elderly IBD patients after discontinuation of thiopurine while in clinical remission. Methods Electronic medical records from IBD patients >60 years whoever received thiopurine treatment were reviewed. Patients who stopped thiopurine after 60 years of age while in clinical and/or endoscopic remission were included. Long-term outcomes included duration of clinical remission, time to clinical relapse, and development of malignancy. Results In total, 142 patients receiving thiopurines while they were >60 years were identified. Ninety-one patients stopped thiopurines at >60years while in clinical and/or endoscopic remission. After a median follow-up of 66 months, 28 (30.8%) developed a clinical relapse. The median duration of TP therapy in relapses was significantly shorter than in patients who remained in remission (median 45 vs. 103 months, respectively; p = .005). After relapse, 10 patients started a biological (36%) and seven received steroids (25%). Surgery was needed in 36% of patients (10/28). Overall, 26 malignancies developed. Conclusion Discontinuation of TP in elderly IBD patients in clinical and/or endoscopic remission results in sustained clinical remission in two-thirds of patients. Patients who flare can mostly be rescued with biologicals although one-third necessitate surgery. A significant proportion of patients developed malignancies under but also after thiopurines discontinuation, indicating that these patients necessitate a continued close follow-up. Decision-making in this vulnerable subgroup of patients remains difficult.