Irritable Bowel Syndrome Still Routinely Disrupts Patients' Lives
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2025 -- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms disrupt affected patients' personal and professional lives an average of 19 days each month, according to the results of a poll released by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).
An online poll was conducted Oct. 28 to Nov. 8, 2024, and included 2,013 U.S. adults who have been diagnosed by a health care provider with IBS-constipation (1,005 individuals) or IBS-diarrhea (1,008) and have not been diagnosed with celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, or colon, stomach, or other cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. A health care provider poll was conducted online between Nov. 15 and Dec. 9, 2024, among 600 health care providers, including gastroenterologists (200), primary care physicians (PCPs; 200), gastroenterology nurse practitioners/physician assistants (NP/PAs; 100), and PCP NP/PAs (100) who see at least six IBS patients per month.
According to the results of the poll, fewer patients reported their symptoms were currently very or extremely bothersome (43 percent in 2024 versus 62 percent in 2015), but 76 percent still found it somewhat or very difficult to manage their symptoms. Fewer than one in three patients reported they could accurately predict daily symptoms (31 percent in 2024 versus 29 percent in 2015). Nearly three in four (72 percent) said it was difficult to plan things because they never know when their symptoms will act up. More than 45 percent of health care providers said they usually or always recommend or prescribe an IBS treatment requested by their patients. Most patients with both IBS types (78 percent each) were satisfied with the treatments they currently took, but only about one in five were very satisfied.
"The findings of this survey underscore the persistent challenges and impact IBS has on patients' lives," Andrea Shin, M.D., an AGA patient education advisor, said in a statement. "Despite progress in the medical community’s approach to diagnosing and managing IBS, patients continue to suffer significant disruptions to their personal and professional lives."
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.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2025
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