title: Epidemiological aspects of irritable bowel syndrome in Europe and North America.
abstract: The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Europe and North America was analyzed from published material. The percentage of the population of Western civilisation with IBS symptoms is between 10 and 15% in most studies. The proportion of a Western population visiting a doctor for IBS symptoms is around 5%. The prevalence of IBS and the proportion of consulters do not seem to depend on age in an adult population. The female-to-male ratio of IBS in the population is close to 2. It is higher in IBS consulters in primary care and may be as high as 3 or 4 in tertiary referral centers. At least in patients from these centers, the number of physician visits and colonoscopies is considerable. Most of the consulters get a drug prescription.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Innere Medizin, Park-Klinik Weissensee, Lehrkrankenhaus der Charité, Schönstrasse 80, D-13086 Berlin, Germany. mueli@park-klinik.com
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Müller-Lissner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bollani
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Brummer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coremans
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dapoigny
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Muris
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oberndorff-Klein Wolthuis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stockbrügger
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vatn
mesh_terms: D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires