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

In April 2018, in time for IBS Awareness Month, the Gastrointestinal Society in Canada released a 38 page 2018 IBS Global Impact Report, which is available for download on its website.  This report was funded and facilitated by the international pharmaceutical company Allergan, and overseen by a steering committee composed of Maura Corsetti, MD of

In January 2018, plecanatide, also known by the brand name Trulance, and previously available in the United States for use in chronic idiopathic constipation, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). See this link. https://www.healio.com/gastroenterology/irritable-bowel-syndrome/news/online/%7B0aa46942-f0d1-4b90-a703-335e5878dec4%7D/fda-approves-trulance-for-ibs-c Updated May 2018

In mid-October, fashion designer Mychael Knight, who was a former star of the U.S. reality television show “Project Runway,” passed away at the age of 39. It is unfortunate that he apparently suffered from chronic gastrointestinal issues that may or may not have contributed to his death at such a young age. While he apparently

One of the interesting and groundbreaking articles presented this year at Digestive Disease Week, an annual international gastroenterology professional conference in May 2017 is a collaboration of 14 researchers from UCLA, Texas Children’s Microbiome Center and Baylor College of Medicine, and the Washington University School of Medicine in St, Louis, Missouri. The authors confirmed the

On March 1, 2017, Health Canada, the national government agency responsible for approval of new medication, approved the use of eluxadoline, also known by the brand name Viberzi, for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS) in 75 mg. and 100 mg dosages. The detailed summary basis decision is available here. According to IBS Impact’s Canadian

On March 15, 2017,  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a drug safety communication for eluxadoline (also known by the brand name Viberzi), currently used in treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea in adults, 18 and older, both men and women. This warning applies specifically to people without a gallbladder, whom the FDA advises

Rome IV International Diagnostic Criteria Updated in 2016 International functional GI experts finalized Rome IV, the first major update to the Rome criteria since 2006, in December 2014 in Rome, Italy. Rome IV was published in the journal Gastroenterology in May 2016 and officially presented to the gastroenterology professional community at the Digestive Disease Week