Emerging and Ongoing Research on IBS

Despite all the information available about IBS, there is still a lot left to discover. Research is being conducted by clinicians and scientists to answer many of the questions that still exist about IBS and to find ways to better diagnose, manage, and improve IBS symptoms.

Diagnosis

To date, IBS is typically diagnosed clinically based on the definition provided by the American College of Gastroenterology, which simply states IBS as abdominal pain with disordered bowel movements. However, this definition still has not yet been validated.¹

There is currently no gold standard diagnostic method for IBS. Instead, there are several sets of symptom-based guidelines that may be used to correctly diagnose IBS. The detailed guidelines are the Manning criteria and the Rome IV criteria, which were published in spring 2016.¹

Lifestyle modifications

Lifestyle modification, including exercise, may improve IBS symptoms.  Results from one study showed that physical activity of 20 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exertion 3 times a week for 12 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in IBS symptoms compared to inactivity. Other studies suggest adequate sleep and stress management may improve IBS symptoms.¹

There have been studies on the effect of food on IBS symptoms. In particular, studies on gluten showed that a gluten-free diet in people with diarrhea-predominant IBS, and without celiac disease, resulted in reduced bowel movement frequency after 4 weeks.¹

There is also ongoing research on the effect of a low-FODMAP diet. Preliminary results show that a low-FODMAP diet had a significant improvement on IBS symptoms.¹

Probiotics

There is ongoing research to learn about the benefits of probiotics. Probiotics are thought to modify the bacterial environment in the gut, which may improve the gut’s ability to function as a barrier to toxins and harmful microorganisms. One commonly studied probiotic is B. infantis, which was shown to improve abdominal symptoms, including bloating and bowel function.¹

Pharmacologic strategies

There are several emerging therapies for constipation-predominant IBS. Elobixibat is a bile acid modulator, which ultimately increases the amount of bile acids entering the colon to relieve constipation. Studies have shown an improvement in the number of bowel movements, loosened stool consistency, and decreased straining.¹

Additional areas of research

More research is needed focusing on the relationship roles of intestinal permeability, immune activation, and the gut environment to learn more about what causes IBS. It will be interesting to find out how these factors relate to the movement of food through the intestines and any sensitivity issues.¹

Researchers from McMaster University in Canada have also identified specific biomarkers in the urine of people with a confirmed diagnosis of IBS, making way for potential new screenings that avoid colonoscopy or samples.³