Constipation Awareness Month seeks to ‘normalize conversations about digestive health’
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Although constipation affects millions of people worldwide, it remains one of the least discussed health concerns due to social stigma, according to a press release from the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Every December, the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) recognizes Constipation Awareness Month to draw attention to the need to provide symptom relief to patients to improve their well-being.
Constipation is known for causing physical discomfort, but it can also have a negative impact on mental health and well-being, with patients often reporting feelings of frustration, embarrassment, stress and anxiety.
“Constipation is more common than most people think, yet many are hesitant to seek help,” IFFGD president Ceciel T. Rooker said in the release. “We want to normalize conversations about digestive health and provide people with the tools they need to feel better.”
To amplify the voices of those affected by constipation, the IFFGD encourages individuals to use the hashtags #ContipationRelief and #ConstipationAwarenessMonth on social media, as well as visit www.aboutConstipation.org and www.YouandConstipation.org to learn more about the condition.
“Everyone’s digestive health journey is different,” Rooker said. “By fostering open conversations, we hope to empower individuals to seek the relief they deserve for an improved quality of life.”
In honor of Constipation Awareness Month, Healio recaps its top coverage of the year on new guidelines for management of constipation, emerging treatments and medications, research updates and more.
New guideline highlights ‘individualized approach’ in management of chronic constipation
An updated clinical practice guideline from The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons underscored the need for collaborative, cross-specialty care to achieve “optimal patient outcomes” in chronic constipation.
“Constipation is one of the most common GI disorders seen in ambulatory medicine clinics and is a common reason for referral to a colorectal surgeon,” Karim Alavi, MD, MPH, of the division of colon and rectal surgery at UMass Memorial Medical Center, and colleagues wrote in Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. “The complex cause and variable severity of constipation symptoms mandate an individualized approach to evaluation and treatment. Given the range of specialties that manage constipation, a collaborative approach is often warranted to achieve optimal patient outcomes.” Read more.
No difference in stool frequency with B. lactis HN019 vs. placebo in constipation
Daily consumption of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis HN019 did not increase complete spontaneous bowel movements per week vs. placebo in healthy individuals with functional constipation, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.
“Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis HN019 (HN019) has been shown to improve constipation and gastrointestinal tract symptoms in adults at doses ranging from 1 × 109 to 17.2 × 109 colony-forming units (CFU) per day for 2 to 4 weeks,” Jing Cheng, PhD, of the department of health at International Flavors & Fragrances in Kantvik, Finland, and colleagues wrote. “Nevertheless, no studies have been performed using HN019 for functional constipation treatment with bowel movement frequency as primary outcome.” Read more.
‘Bad guys’ in the gut: Archaea overgrowth linked to severe constipation
The prevalence and severity of constipation was significantly higher in patients with intestinal methanogen overgrowth, underscoring the importance of diagnostic and treatment strategies specific to archaea overgrowth, researchers wrote.
“Archaea are the oldest form of life on our planet and are the only living organisms that can produce methane,” study author Ali Rezaie, MD,MSc, medical director of the GI Motility Program and director of bioinformatics at the Medically Associated Science and Technology program at Cedars Sinai, told Healio. “Classically, we have a good understanding of what viruses or bacteria cause what diseases, but we know much less about archaea. It is interesting that intestinal methanogen overgrowth, an excessive amount of methane-producing archaea in our bowels, is the first instance where archaea behave as bad guys.” Read more.
Keys to IBS care: Understanding medical options, where they ‘might be most effective’
Results from a 2023 nationwide survey published in Gastroenterology estimated the prevalence of Rome IV irritable bowel syndrome in the U.S. climbing to 6.1% — higher than previous reports of 4.7% to 5.3%.
On a global scale, the IFFGD estimates IBS affects 10% to 15% of the population, making it the most prevalent disorder of gut-brain interaction. Read more.
Linaclotide improves rate of bowel movements, consistency in children with constipation
Treatment with once-daily linaclotide was well-tolerated and resulted in significant improvement in spontaneous bowel movements and stool consistency vs. placebo among children with functional constipation, researchers reported.
“Linaclotide is a guanylate cyclase C agonist acting on the luminal surface of the intestinal epithelium and, at the time of this study, was approved in the USA for the treatment of adults with chronic idiopathic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with predominant constipation, but was not approved for use in children,” Carlo Di Lorenzo,MD, chief of the division of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and colleagues wrote in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Read more.
‘Gold standard evidence’ supports use of probiotic blend to improve constipation
Adults with occasional constipation reported significant improvement in stool consistency and GI-related symptoms after receiving a probiotic blend, results from a randomized study presented at NUTRITION showed.
Findings from the phase 3 trial also showed that participants who received the probiotic blend had significantly lower stress levels compared with those who received placebo. Read more.
Reference:
- IFFGD raises awareness for constipation relief: Empowering individuals during Constipation Awareness Month. https://iffgd.org/news/press-release/iffgd-raises-awareness-for-constipation-relief-empowering-individuals-during-constipation-awareness-month/. Published Dec. 2, 2024. Accessed Dec. 10, 2024.
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