A recent study of adult American who had previously experienced symptoms commonly associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), including frequent abdominal discomfort and instances of modified stool (such as alteration to bowel movement schedule and look), indicated that three in four IBS sufferers could be undiagnosed. Several factors, including the non-application of IBS diagnostic criteria outside of the research context and the potential presence of other related gastrointestinal issues in patients, may contribute to this absence of formal IBS diagnoses nationwide. These developments have led to nearly half of all undiagnosed IBS sufferers not treating their conditions, compared with 40% of those with confirmed cases undergoing such care.

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