title: Irritable bowel syndrome subtypes: constipation, diarrhea…and mixed bowel pattern: tertium datur.
abstract: The study by Su et al. published in this issue of NGM provides helpful insight into a relatively large, yet understudied, subgroup of IBS known as IBS with mixed bowel pattern (IBS-M). These investigators found among their 289 IBS subjects who underwent detailed assessment the IBS-M subtype to be particularly common. Interestingly, prior use of laxatives or antidiarrheal agents was found to potentially explain the mixed bowel pattern in approximately 30% of patients. These IBS-M patients tended to report more severe IBS symptoms. IBS-M patients had bowel symptoms more similar to IBS-D than IBS-C, particularly with regard to the rectal urgency. Hopefully many more studies will be forthcoming to further our understanding of IBS-M.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Cremonini
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Lembo
mesh_terms: D003672:Defecation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male
keywords: IBS-M; constipation; diarrhea