In April 2018, the journal Gastroenterology  reported that an international collaboration of researchers headed by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, has identified several DNA variants on Chromosome 9 that may be associated with higher risk of IBS in women, particularly IBS with constipation. This possible correlation was not found in men. The identified chromosomal regions are similar to those believed to influence the timing of sex hormones, puberty and first menstruation, and may partially explain why known cases of IBS are more common in women than men in most countries of the world. These findings were based on extensive genetic data from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States and involved university research centers in Sweden, the United States, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. While these are exciting discoveries, more research is needed. It should be emphasized that IBS is a complex disorder arising from many factors that likely vary with the individual. There is no single IBS gene identified at this time, nor is this discovery the full answer.

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Posted May 2018