Irritable bowel syndrome is considered a multifactorial disorder, including changes in bowel variability, bowel transit time, and the experience of pain in abdomen. New research has shown that irritable bowel syndrome is widespread among first degree relatives of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Researchers from the La Fe University Hospital in Spain looked at the relationship between patients with irritable bowel syndrome and first degree relatives (parents, siblings, and offspring). What these researchers found was that nearly 50 percent of patients with irritable bowel syndrome had a parent, sibling or child with irritable bowel syndrome. It was also interesting to find that more identical twins were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome than fraternal twin.
Aguas, M., Garrigues, V., Gulliermo, B., Nos, P., Ortiz, V., Fernandez, A. & Ponce, J. 2011. Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in first degree relatives of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, 5, 227-233.
