Israeli Arabs develop diverticulitis at a younger age and are more likely to require surgery than Jews

BACKGROUND: Only few studies have examined the impact of racial differences on the age of onset, course and outcomes of diverticulitis. AIM: To provide data about the epidemiology of diverticulitis in northern Israel, and to determine whether ethnicity is a predictor of age of onset, complications, and need for surgery. METHODS: Was conducted a retrospective review of the charts of all patients diagnosed with a first episode of diverticulitis in our hospital between 2005 and 2012. RESULTS: Were found 638 patients with a first episode of acute diverticulitis in the eight year interval. Israeli Arabs developed a first episode of diverticulitis at a younger age compared to Jews (51.2 vs 63.8 years, p<0.01). Arabs living in rural areas developed diverticulitis at a younger age than Arabs living in urban centers (49.4 vs 54.5 years, P=0.03). Jewish and Arabic men developed diverticulitis at younger age compared to their female counterparts (59.9 vs 66.09, p<0.01, and 47.31 vs 56.93, p<0.01, respectively). Arabs were more likely [odds ratio (OR)=1.81 ,95% confidence interval (CI)1.12-2.90, p=0.017] than Jews to require surgical treatment (urgent or elective) for diverticulitis. CONCLUSIONS: Israeli Arabs tend to develop diverticulitis at a younger age and are more likely to require surgical treatment for diverticulitis compared to Jews. Arabs living in rural areas develop diverticulitis at a younger age than Arabs living in urban centers. These findings highlight a need to address the root cause for ethnic differences in onset, course and outcome of acute diverticulitis.