The researchers examined 3,656 patients with lower GI symptom data. Of these patients, 1,551 met the criteria for functional bowel disorder.
• Diarrhea-predominant IBS patients tended to be younger. It presented more often in females and patients who met criteria for anxiety and somatisation-type behavior, when compared to functional diarrhea.
• Constipation-predominant IBS patients tended to be younger, female, unmarried and reported anxiety symptoms and somatisation-type behavior.
• One in five chronic idiopathic constipation patients reported abdominal pain or discomfort.
• All constipation symptoms were more common in constipation-predominant IBS patients.
The researchers concluded that the Rome III classification system does not fully describe unique subsets of functional bowel disorder patients.
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