BiotechMashup

Hypnotherapy seems to be very effective for easing the distressing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and in a goodly proportion of cases, clears up symptoms altogether, reveal experts.

A targeted antibiotic provides effective and long-lasting relief of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, according to the results of two multisite Phase III clinical trials. Rifaximin is the first drug treatment for IBS that relieves symptoms while it's being administered and continues to benefit patients after they stop taking the drug.

A significant proportion of irritable bowel syndrome patients treated with cognitive behavior therapy have a positive response within four weeks of treatment, a new study shows.

A large academic study has demonstrated structural changes in specific brain regions in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both. According to researchers, the finding removes the idea once and for all that IBS symptoms are not real and are "only psychological."

(University of California - Los Angeles) A large academic study has demonstrated structural changes in specific brain regions in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both. According to researchers, the finding removes the idea once and for all that IBS symptoms are not real and are "only psychological."

(World Journal of Gastroenterology) A research group in Iran investigated the prevalence of overlapping gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) in patients referred to a gastroenterology clinic over a period of ten years. This finding suggests that GERD and IBS should be considered as parts of the same spectrum of diseases.

(University of Michigan Health System) Nurses participating in shift work, especially those working rotating shifts, face a significantly increased risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal pain compared to those working a standard day-time schedule, according to research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

(World Journal of Gastroenterology) A research team from Finland tested the capability of a set of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene on a phylotype level to differentiate between irritable bowel syndrome symptom subtypes and healthy controls. The applied assays form a potentially useful set for future studies.

Irritable bowel syndrome makes life miserable for those affected, an estimated ten percent or more of the population. What further irritates many sufferers is that they often are labeled as hypochondriacs, since physical causes have never been identified -- until now. Biologists in Germany have discovered mini-inflammations in the mucosa of the gut, which upset the sensitive balance of the bowel and are accompanied by sensitization of the enteric nervous system.