Harvard Doctor’s comments on findings in first phase of his Northport Crohn’s & Colitis Study

Dr. Korzenik, the Director of the Crohn’s and Colitis Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, one of Harvard Medical School’s teaching hospitals, is the physician heading up the current Northport Crohn’s and Colitis study.  The results of the first phase of the study was published  last month.  The abstract stated of the 117 current Northport residents who participated in the study 17 had been diagnosed with either Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis, 7 of those live along Mitchell Road.   

Dr. Korzenik commented on the results; 

“That’s about 10 to 15 times what we’d expect to see in a population the size of Northport.  I’m not aware of any other cluster like it.”

He went on to say;

“It’s important for the people of Northport to understand why this is happening —  if there’s a particular exposure that’s leading to this extent of the disease in their community.  It’s also important for the larger community.  Does this hold an important clue?  Then it may hold answers for many other people out there.”