TY - JOUR
T1 - Recognizing and Defining Occasional Constipation
T2 - Expert Consensus Recommendations
AU - Rao, Satish S.C.
AU - Lacy, Brian E.
AU - Emmanuel, Anton
AU - Müller-Lissner, Stefan
AU - Pohl, Daniel
AU - Quigley, Eamonn M.M.
AU - Whorwell, Peter
N1 - Funding Information:
Financial support: This manuscript was developed based on inputs from advisors (the authors) who initiated and participated in an expert consensus meeting supported by Sanofi. The authors received an honorarium to participate in this meeting. Medical writing support for the development of this manuscript, under the direction of the authors, was provided by Ian C Grieve, PhD, of Ashfield MedComms, an Inizio company, and was funded by Sanofi.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Heart Association, Inc.
PY - 2022/11/1
Y1 - 2022/11/1
N2 - Constipation is a common problem, affects 15% of the population, and is often self-diagnosed and self-managed. Over the past 3 decades, there have been significant advances in our understanding and management of chronic constipation, with the emerging recognition that occasional constipation (OC) is another subtype that falls outside current classifications. The purpose of this review was to describe the process of developing and proposing a new definition for OC based on expert consensus and taking into consideration the multifactorial nature of the problem such as alterations in bowel habit that include stool frequency and difficulty with stool passage, perception of the sufferer, duration of symptoms, and potential responsiveness to treatment. Leading gastroenterologists from 5 countries met virtually on multiple occasions through an online digital platform to discuss the problem of OC and recommended a practical, user-friendly definition: "OC can be defined as intermittent or occasional symptomatic alteration(s) in bowel habit. This includes a bothersome reduction in the frequency of bowel movements and/or difficulty with passage of stools but without alarming features. Bowel symptoms may last for a few days or a few weeks, and episodes may require modification of lifestyle, dietary habits and/or use of over-the-counter laxatives or bulking agents to restore a satisfactory bowel habit."Prospective studies are required to validate this definition and determine OC prevalence in the community. This review highlights current knowledge gaps and could provide impetus for future research to facilitate an improved understanding of OC and development of evidence-based management guidelines.
AB - Constipation is a common problem, affects 15% of the population, and is often self-diagnosed and self-managed. Over the past 3 decades, there have been significant advances in our understanding and management of chronic constipation, with the emerging recognition that occasional constipation (OC) is another subtype that falls outside current classifications. The purpose of this review was to describe the process of developing and proposing a new definition for OC based on expert consensus and taking into consideration the multifactorial nature of the problem such as alterations in bowel habit that include stool frequency and difficulty with stool passage, perception of the sufferer, duration of symptoms, and potential responsiveness to treatment. Leading gastroenterologists from 5 countries met virtually on multiple occasions through an online digital platform to discuss the problem of OC and recommended a practical, user-friendly definition: "OC can be defined as intermittent or occasional symptomatic alteration(s) in bowel habit. This includes a bothersome reduction in the frequency of bowel movements and/or difficulty with passage of stools but without alarming features. Bowel symptoms may last for a few days or a few weeks, and episodes may require modification of lifestyle, dietary habits and/or use of over-the-counter laxatives or bulking agents to restore a satisfactory bowel habit."Prospective studies are required to validate this definition and determine OC prevalence in the community. This review highlights current knowledge gaps and could provide impetus for future research to facilitate an improved understanding of OC and development of evidence-based management guidelines.
KW - Humans
KW - Consensus
KW - Constipation/diagnosis
KW - Laxatives/therapeutic use
KW - Defecation
KW - Intestines
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U2 - 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001945
DO - 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001945
M3 - Review article
C2 - 35971230
AN - SCOPUS:85141890143
SN - 0002-9270
VL - 117
SP - 1753
EP - 1758
JO - American Journal of Gastroenterology
JF - American Journal of Gastroenterology
IS - 11
ER -