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Increase in Chronic Digestive Disorders Seen During Pandemic

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 9, 2025.

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, July 9, 2025 -- There was an increase in disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) during the COVID-19 pandemic for those living in the United States, according to a study recently published online in Neurogastroenterology & Motility.

Christopher V. Almario, M.D., from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, and colleagues assessed trends in the prevalence of Rome IV gastroduodenal and bowel DGBI over time based on survey responses from a nationally representative sample of more than 160,000 U.S. adults.

The researchers found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) increased (6.1 [May 2020] to 11.0 percent [May 2022]; +0.188 percent/month), as did chronic idiopathic constipation (6.0 [May 2020] to 6.4 percent [May 2022]; +0.056 percent/month). The largest prevalence increase was seen in mixed IBS (+0.085 percent/month), IBS with constipation (+0.041 percent/month), and IBS with diarrhea (+0.037 percent/month). For the other examined gastroduodenal and bowel DGBI, there were no changes in prevalence.

"These findings underscore the significant toll the pandemic has taken on digestive health," Almario said in a statement. "These disorders involve chronic gastrointestinal symptoms that are often triggered or worsened by psychological stress."

Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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