Treatment goals in irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) carries a considerable economic and social impact which may, in part, be due to inefficient diagnosis and inappropriate treatment choice leading to continued patient ill health and absenteeism. Even assuming that IBS can be diagnosed positively, using well-established symptom-based criteria, management difficulties remain. Thus, pharmacological treatment choice is still based on the single predominant symptom, and many currently available treatments are ineffective in the long term. A greater understanding of the pathophysiology of IBS may lead to the development of more effective treatments that can target the multiple symptoms present in IBS. A new understanding of the role of serotonin (5-HT) and specific receptors (5-HT3 and 5-HT4) found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has led to the development of serotonergic agents which have potential clinical benefits. Recent clinical trials suggest that 5-HT4 receptor partial agonists, in particular, may have the ability to offer multiple symptom relief, without the risk of significant adverse reactions.