INTRODUCTION: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the most prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders, affects up to 55 million Americans, most of them women. IBS is a chronic disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort associated with altered bowel function for at least three months, according to the Rome III criteria. Patients often experience relapse of symptoms over time. IBS symptoms cannot be explained by structural abnormalities, and IBS pathophysiology, which is thought to be multifactorial, is not well understood.
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