IBS Newsfeed

Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2026 Sep;38(9):e70432. doi: 10.1111/nmo.70432. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction that significantly impairs quality of life. Although multiple US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications have demonstrated efficacy in randomized controlled trials, less is known about patients' real-world experiences and factors influencing treatment decisions. Here, we conducted social media netnography-a qualitative approach for examining patient perspectives posted online on social media platforms and e-health forums, exploring the perspectives and experiences of I…

Front Med (Lausanne). 2026 Aug 18;13:1900112. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1900112. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT INRODUCTION: Evidence for probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome remains heterogeneous, although real-world use is common in Chinese gastroenterology practice. This study evaluated whether initiation of multi-strain probiotics, compared with contemporary standard care without probiotics, was associated with clinically meaningful symptom and quality-of-life improvement in adults with diarrhoea-predominant or mixed irritable bowel syndrome. METHODS: This single-centre retrospective real-world cohort study identified adults with Rome IV IBS-D or IBS-M managed between Janu…

Scientists uncover microbiome signaling system that could open new paths for IBS-related constipation Mayo Clinic News Network Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that chemical signals produced by gut bacteria work together to control intestinal movement. One bacterial signal helps set the intestines in motion, while another primes gut cells to respond more strongly, amplifying the effect. The research expands scientists' understanding of how the gut microbiome communicates with the body, moving beyond the traditional focus on individual bacteria or bacterial molecules. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, point to a potenti…

Gastroenterologists Reveal Why So Many People Over 50 Are Constipated Prevention Almost everyone experiences the occasional bout of constipation. But some people feel backed up more frequently than others, whether that’s because of an existing gastrointestinal disorder, taking certain medications, or age. That’s right—you’re more likely to feel constipated as you get older. So here, we’re taking a look at why constipation becomes more common after 50. “Constipation becomes more common with age, although getting older does not automatically mean getting constipated,” says Douglas Weine, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Red Bank Gastroenterology in Red Bank, N.J. Instead, th…

Dig Dis Sci. 2026 Aug 28. doi: 10.1007/s10620-026-10190-7. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests an increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among individuals with allergic diseases, and several biological mechanisms have been proposed. This study aims to investigate the association between IBS and allergic diseases in a large nationwide cohort of adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional nationwide study included Israeli adolescents aged 16-20 years who underwent medical assessment before military service. The military database was used to identify individuals with allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatit…

Antibiotics (Basel). 2026 Aug 11;15(8):772. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics15080772. ABSTRACT The intricate interplay between the gut microbiome and the enteric nervous system remains a paramount focus in understanding the multifactorial pathogenesis of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), most notably irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While the clinical entity of post-infectious IBS is well-established, the independent, long-term pathophysiological impact of iatrogenic antibiotic exposure is garnering critical attention within neurogastroenterology. This narrative review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current epidemiological and mechanistic evidence positioning antib…

World J Methodol. 2026 Sep 20;16(3):118399. doi: 10.5662/wjm.118399. eCollection 2026 Sep 20. ABSTRACT Constipation is a common multifactorial gastrointestinal disorder with a significant impact on quality of life, healthcare utilization, and economic burden. It encompasses a spectrum of symptoms, including infrequent bowel movements (fewer than three per week), lumpy or hard stools (Bristol Stool Form Scale 1 or 2), straining, difficult stool passage, a sense of incomplete evacuation, etc. When no organic cause is identifiable, the condition is labeled as functional constipation. Pharmacological management of constipation has been extensively explored, with several new t…

Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2026 Aug 20:S1542-3565(26)00629-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2026.07.041. Online ahead of print. Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) causes recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, with substantial impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and healthcare utilization. Although multiple pharmacologic therapies are available, treatment benefit seen in routine practice may differ from outcomes observed in randomized controlled trials, and patient dissatisfaction can remain unrecognized during clinical encounters. Existing patient-reported outcome measures provide detailed assessments on symptom severity and treatment sati…

Rome Criteria for IBS: When Is Further Testing Needed? Medscape Does knowing the diagnostic criteria necessarily lead to sound clinical decision-making? Not always. A recent study published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility evaluated medical students from 14 Latin American countries, including Brazil, and found that although most were familiar with the Rome Criteria for disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), many still relied on a diagnosis of exclusion rather than a positive diagnosis. Researchers at the University of Miami in Miami found that this approach persisted even among students who had received formal training in DGBI. DGBI is characterized by gastroi…

When should you suspect inflammatory bowel disease? Recognizing red flags in primary care Nebraska Medicine Differentiating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), can be challenging, particularly when symptoms are intermittent or mild. Careful assessment of alarm features, inflammatory markers, stool testing, and recent infectious or travel history can help identify patients who require gastroenterology (GI) evaluation. Since IBS lacks certain inflammatory markers that may indicate a diagnosis of IBD, understanding the patient’s medical history, their symptoms, and using the correct testing early on is crucial. Al…

Elobixibat Outperforms Prucalopride in Refractory Functional Constipation: Study Medical Dialogues In patients with functional constipation unresponsive to first-line treatment, elobixibat provided better bowel movement response, greater symptom relief, and improved quality of life compared with prucalopride. These findings suggest elobixibat may be a more effective option for patients with treatment-refractory functional constipation. The study was published in the journal of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics by Omesh G. and colleagues. A comparison of the efficacy and safety of elobixibat and prucalopride was conducted by conducting a multicentre prospective pra…

Constipation In Space: A New Study Provides Answers U.S. News & World Report Constipation is a well-known problem for astronauts in space, and researchers now think they know why it occurs. Weightlessness appears to affect the gut microbiome, the billions of healthy bacteria that reside in a person’s digestive tract, researchers reported recently in Nature Communications. "We see changes in astronauts’ blood samples that indicate that the gut bacteria begin to ferment protein to a greater extent than usual within weeks after the astronauts arrive in space, and this change continues until they are back on Earth," co-lead researcher Giorgia La Barbera said in a news …

J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2026 Aug 18. doi: 10.1111/jgh.70669. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and diarrhea (IBS-D) exhibit highly divergent clinical manifestations. This study aims to investigate the correlation between IBS-C and IBS-D. METHODS: All participants provided fecal samples and completed IBS-SSS, IBS-QOL, and GSRS. Fecal bacterial composition was analyzed via custom V4-region 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform, while bile acids were quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). KEY RESULTS: Patients with IBS-D reported significantly higher f…

Can Eating More Fiber Actually Worsen Constipation? Gastroenterologists Explain Prevention It’s not a coincidence that countless people suffer from constipation and the majority of adults don’t get enough fiber in their diets. But can eating more fiber actually make constipation worse? While it seems like the answer should be no, it’s not quite that simple. “Not getting enough fiber can contribute to constipation. Fiber helps increase stool bulk and, depending on the type of fiber, can help stool retain water and become easier to pass,” explains Augustine Tawadros, M.D., a gastroenterologist with Middlesex Monmouth Gastroenterology in Freehold, N.J. “However, constipati…

Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2026 Aug 15;28(1):25. doi: 10.1007/s11894-026-01053-2. ABSTRACT Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction characterized by chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of structural pathology. Its pathophysiology reflects a complex interplay between the central nervous system, enteric nervous system, microbiota, immune signaling, epithelial barrier dysfunction etc. Despite advances in the understanding of the mechanisms causing IBS, the diagnosis of IBS remains primarily symptom-based, necessitating the use of objective tools to improve diagnostic precision and personalized management. This review synt…

Front Nutr. 2026 Jul 28;13:1888737. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1888737. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Running may cause gastrointestinal symptoms resembling irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). One promising and widely studied tool to alleviate these symptoms is a diet restricting fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP). The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the frequency of consumption of foods high in FODMAPs and the frequency of IBS-like symptoms among recreational runners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 153 recreational runners (81 women and 72 men) with a mean age of 37.8 ± 11 year…

J Smooth Muscle Res. 2026;62:26-39. doi: 10.1540/jsmr.62.26. ABSTRACT Gastrointestinal (GI) motility follows a circadian rhythm regulated by a network of central and peripheral clocks, with the suprachiasmatic nucleus serving as the master clock. Disruptions to circadian rhythms are linked to impaired GI motility and disorders of gut-brain interaction, which include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD). Emerging evidence suggests that circadian misalignment alters gut-brain interactions, exacerbating the symptoms of these disorders. Additionally, sex differences in circadian regulation contribute to variations in susceptibility. Indeed, women have …

Abdominal Bloating Linked to Greater Irritable Bowel Syndrome Burden EMJ The findings suggested that abdominal bloating occurring at least once each week affected almost half of patients with IBS classified using the operationalised Rome V algorithm and identified individuals with a substantially greater clinical burden. The researchers concluded that abdominal bloating occurring at least 1 day per week affected nearly half of patients with irritable bowel syndrome classified using the operationalised Rome V algorithm and was associated with greater symptom severity, higher psychological burden, poorer quality of life, and increased healthcare utilisation. They suggest…

Front Gastroenterol (Lausanne). 2026 Jul 23;5:1681818. doi: 10.3389/fgstr.2026.1681818. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: IBS is a disorder of gut-brain interaction that is diagnosed positively but still requires a focused differential diagnosis and limited rule-out testing. IBS-Smart and Trio-Smart are commercially available serologic and breath tests that may alter diagnostic sequencing in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether receipt of IBS-Smart and/or Trio-Smart was associated with differences in diagnostic resource utilization, captured diagnostic cost, chart-level diagnostic persistence, and medication use compared with contemporaneous control pati…

Br J Nutr. 2026 Aug 3:1-28. doi: 10.1017/S0007114526108101. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been implicated in increased gut permeability and low-grade mucosal inflammation, conditions that are linked to the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Because increased dietary fat intake can both trigger IBS symptoms and promote LPS translocation in the gut, this study aimed to better understand how a turmeric formula (TF) affects fasting and postprandial LPS response, after a high-fat challenge in patients with IBS (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes included postprandial ApolipoproteinB48 (Apo-B48) and triglycerides (TG) as markers …

J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2026 Jul 31. doi: 10.1111/jgh.70618. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND AIM: Given the prevalence and chronicity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), this systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the cost of illness of IBS, with attention to the relative contributions of direct healthcare and indirect non-healthcare costs. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted from inception to August 2025, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO CRD420251266432). Studies were included if they primarily assessed costs of IBS with sufficiently detailed methodology. Costs were inflation-adjusted …

Rice bran compound may help ease irritable bowel symptoms ScienceDaily A compound in rice bran may help calm an overactive gut by reducing the calcium signals that cause intestinal muscles to contract. Ferulic acid suppressed contractions triggered by several chemical messengers in laboratory experiments. The discovery could eventually support new dietary approaches for diarrhea-related digestive disorders, although it may make constipation worse. View the full article

Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2026 Jul 30:S1542-3565(26)00563-X. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2026.07.022. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND & AIMS: The Rome V process altered diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared with Rome IV, by modifying the requirement for frequency and persistence of symptoms. We compared epidemiological, clinical, and psychological characteristics of people with Rome V-defined IBS, versus Rome III or IV, in the community. METHODS: We conducted a survey of adults in the United Kingdom with self-reported IBS. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing Rome III, IV, and V criteria, gastrointestinal symptom seve…

J Clin Med. 2026 Jul 9;15(14):5392. doi: 10.3390/jcm15145392. ABSTRACT Background/Objectives: Cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder, is one of the most commonly performed abdominal surgical procedures worldwide. Emerging evidence suggests that cholecystectomy may contribute to the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the association remains incompletely understood. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the relationship between cholecystectomy and IBS. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted from database inception to March 2026. Meta-analyses were performed to pool …

Nutrients. 2026 Jul 20;18(14):2371. doi: 10.3390/nu18142371. ABSTRACT Objective: We aimed to investigate the effects of a low-FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet on symptom severity, quality of life, and fecal zonulin levels in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods: Twenty-four patients with IBS were prospectively randomized to either a low-FODMAP diet (LFD) or a traditional diet (TD) for 4 weeks. IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), IBS Quality of Life (IBS-QOL), and fecal zonulin levels were assessed at baseline and week 4 in both groups. In the LFD group, FODMAP-containing foods were gradually reintro…