New Interactive Tools From ACG Aim to Bring Hope to Millions of IBS Patients Searching ...( IBS Signs and Symptoms Tracker Sheds ...),Health

IBS Signs and Symptoms Tracker Sheds Light on IBS Warning Signs; IBS Treatment Matrix Helps Patients Find Relief

BETHESDA, Md., May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To mark World Digestive Health Day, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), in conjunction with global observances of this awareness day under the auspices of the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO), today announced the availability of two new interactive tools aimed at helping to provide answers and hope to millions of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferers struggling for relief. The first tool -- also called "The IBS Test" -- is intended to help undiagnosed individuals recognize the signs and symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The second -- called the "IBS Treatment Matrix" -- is based on newly published ACG data analyzing IBS treatment options and offers basic information as well as graded recommendations on sixteen categories of IBS therapies. Both tools are available for free at www.ibsrelief.org.

In the United States, it is estimated that 10-15 percent of the adult population suffers from IBS symptoms, yet only 5 to 7 percent of adults have been diagnosed with the disease. IBS is the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists and one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians. According to studies, IBS patients make more visits to their physicians, undergo more diagnostic tests, are prescribed more medications, miss more workdays, have lower work productivity, are hospitalized more frequently, and account for greater overall direct healthcare costs than patients without IBS. ACG's new research reveals that IBS can have such a severe impact on Health-Related Quality of Life that it has been linked to an increase in suicidal behavior.

The IBS Treatment Matrix for patients was built based on new ACG research published in the January 2009
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