CDAI: Understanding the Crohn's Disease Activity Index for Better Management

When you're managing CDAI, the Crohn's Disease Activity Index, a standardized tool used to measure how active Crohn's disease is in a patient. Also known as Crohn's Disease Activity Index, it helps doctors and patients track symptoms like abdominal pain, number of bowel movements, and overall well-being to see if treatment is working. Unlike blood tests or scans that show internal damage, CDAI focuses on what the patient actually feels day to day. That’s why it’s still used in clinics and clinical trials—even with advanced imaging available.

CDAI isn’t a lab result you get from a machine. It’s a score built from answers to eight simple questions: how many loose stools you had, how bad your belly pain is, how tired you feel, if you have a fever, if you need extra meds, your general health, if you have any abscesses or fistulas, and your body weight. Add those up, and you get a number. A score below 150 means the disease is in remission. Above 450? That’s a severe flare. It’s not perfect—some people feel worse than their score suggests—but it’s one of the most consistent ways to measure change over time. That’s why it’s tied to decisions about switching drugs, adjusting doses, or trying new therapies. And it’s not just for doctors. Patients who track their own CDAI scores often feel more in control of their care.

Related tools like the Harvey-Bradshaw Index are simpler but less detailed. CDAI gives more nuance, which matters when you’re trying to decide between biologics, immunosuppressants, or dietary changes. It’s especially useful when you’re monitoring how a new medication works over weeks or months. If your score drops after starting a drug, that’s a good sign. If it climbs, your team knows to act fast. It’s also used in research to compare how well different treatments work across large groups of people. You won’t find CDAI in every doctor’s office, but if you have Crohn’s and your provider talks about disease activity, remission, or flare-ups, they’re likely using it behind the scenes.

What you’ll find below are real-world guides and comparisons that connect directly to how CDAI fits into daily care. From how medications like azilsartan or diltiazem might indirectly affect gut health, to how generic drugs, drug interactions, and even diet can influence disease activity, these posts give you the full picture. Whether you're a patient tracking your own numbers or a clinician trying to interpret them, this collection gives you the tools to understand what CDAI really means—and how to use it to stay ahead of flare-ups.