| Theme |
Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| Title |
Epidemiology of Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| Author |
Shin Fukudo |
Department of Behavioral Medical, Tohoku University, Graduate School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder related to brain-gut interactions, which is typically connected with stress responses. Despite the fact that this is a non-fatal condition, IBS has been recognized as an important syndrome. IBS is the most common diagnosis made by gastroenterologists. Approximately 1O to 15% of the general population have IBS and the annual incidence rate is probably 1 to 2%. IBS significantly impacts on quality of life and the economic impact is enormous. By analyzing the comorbidity of IBS and psychological abnormalities and/or genetic predispositions toward IBS it is feasible to clarify the etiology of this common syndrome. |