Global burden of irritable bowel syndrome: trends, predictions and risk factors

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common disorders of gut–brain interaction worldwide, defined according to patterns of gastrointestinal symptoms as described by the Rome diagnostic criteria. However, these criteria, developed with reference to research conducted largely in Western populations, might be limited in their applicability to other countries and cultures. Epidemiological data show a wide variation in the prevalence of...