To ask at what age...

[PinkRetro]

You would find someone young to have both ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis ?

They can both affect people very young though. So my answer is I would be surprised at anyone under 15 with both of these.

Both autoimmune disorders so potentially childhood.

@PinkRetro there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this stuff. I've spoken to a fair few with kids diagnosed with one autoimmune condition. They often overlap.

UC is often associated with another shitty rheumatological condition called ankylosing spondylitis. There's a genetic basis for much of it. How and when it comes out, I think they just don't understand.

Neither of those conditions are particularly linked to age. I wouldn't say anyone was 'young to have them'. If someone told me they were 20 and had either or both of those conditions I'd obviously feel sorry for them, but I wouldn't feel any more surprised/sorry than I would if they were 70.

This isn't quite true. The chance of developing RA increases with age so it is more unusual to see patients in their 20s although it does happen.

Ulcerative colitis isn't linked to older age groups though. It's not unusual to see teenagers and young adults being diagnosed. I think it's more common to develop UC under the age of 40.

3 years old