Epidemiologic Burden and Treatment of Chronic Symptomatic Functional Bowel Disorders in the United States: A Nationwide Analysis

Background & AimsFunctional bowel disorders (FBDs) are the most common gastrointestinal problems managed by physicians. We aimed to assess the burden of chronic symptomatic FBDs on ambulatory care delivery in the United States and evaluate patterns of treatment.MethodsData from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were used to estimate annual rates and associated costs of ambulatory visits for symptomatic irritable bowel syndrome, chronic...