Impact of Chronic Constipation and Ibs*

The clinical and economic implications of chronic constipation (CC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and their negative impact on quality of life are considerable. Both of these functional gastrointestinal disorders produce frequent and bothersome symptoms of varying severity and account for limitations in performing daily activities, higher healthcare costs, increased utilization of medical resources, reduced productivity at work, and diminished quality of life. Although there is some overlap of symptoms in CC and IBS, there are differences in epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, predominant symptoms, and treatment. This article addresses these similarities and differences, focusing on prevalence, demographics, economic burden, and resource utilization patterns. It also takes a careful look at the impact of CC and IBS on quality-of-life assessment measures and identifies which factors predict lower scores and reduced quality of life. (Adv Stud Med. 2006;6(2A):S49-S57) C hronic constipation (CC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a considerable impact, not only in terms of clinical symptoms and quality of life, but also on resource utilization and work productivity. CC and IBS are among the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), along with dyspepsia, functional heartburn, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The prevalence of FGIDs in the United States and elsewhere ranges from 2% to 28% for CC, 3% to 20% for IBS, 25% for GERD, 25% to 40% for functional heartburn, and 40% for dyspepsia. These rates are comparable to or even higher than prevalence rates in the United States and elsewhere for several common non-gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, such as diabetes (8%), asthma (8%), migraine (6%–18%), and hypertension (28%). Although there is some overlap of symptoms and effects on quality of life in CC and IBS, there are differences in epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, predominant symptoms, and treatment. Accordingly, this article addresses CC and IBS separately, but alludes to features common to both, as appropriate.