Patients with irritable bowel syndrome are more burdened by co-morbidity and worry about serious diseases than healthy controls- eight years follow-up of IBS patients in primary care

摘要

BackgroundIrritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a hidden public health disease that affects up to 20% of the general population. Although co-morbidity can affect diagnose setting and treatment of the disease, there are few studies concerning diagnosed and registered co-morbidity for IBS patients in primary care. The aim of this study was to analyse co-morbidity among IBS-patients compared to age- and sex-matched controls from the general population using data from a county-wide computerized medical record system.