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IBS Now Most Reported Gastrointestinal Disorder
By Scott Best
Are researchers treating IBS in a manner fitting the most reported gastrointestinal disorder, or is it taking a back seat while other maladies that have clinical validity get research funding? Where does the rubber meat the road?
What is "clinical validity? As defined by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) clinical validity is a measurement of the accuracy with which a test or tool identifies or predicts a clinical condition. So does that mean because doctors and scientists can't identify what cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome, nor can they predict it in any measure, nor can they find any tool or test by which to measure it, does this mean that IBS has no clinical Validity?
If that is true, then one could easily assume that no large government grants will be forth coming to fund any large scale study of what many in high Places of knowledge specify as the most reported GI disorder. To quote some figures, in 1997 John's Hopkins Magazine published an article by Melissa Hendricks, the magazine's senior science writer at the time; with the title "Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the least understood gastrointestinal illnesses". In that article Hendricks states that "from 8 to 17 percent of the population has IBS". She goes on to declare a figure of 35 Million, that's roughly 10% of the United States Population. And those figures are going on ten years old; one can only imagine what they must be now.
Yet little is heard in the open press about this seemingly devastating disorder, and the term devastating is in reference to its affect on GNP. There have been several sources that have stated that no other "disease" or disorder has had such an impact on the number of work days missed. Hendricks in her article states that "Only the common cold accounts for more sick days". Searching through archives at The National Center for Health Statistics no mention of IBS has could be found in any recent statistical data.
The National Institutes of Health has two easily accessible documents published. The first, publication No. 03--4686 April 2003, which does little more then give lip service to the disorder, then early this year the institute released a new or what might be called a revised publication No. 06--693 February 2006 with more detail of what the disease is. Most of the facts in the new publication have been known for 10 to 15 years. There are a few extended statements of what is known to not be true about the disease, but not much more.
If a search is made of the available date on Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, what one finds is a repeat of the same information that has been available since the early 90's. It just gets hashed and rehashed in a slightly different manner, but with the same type of results. True there are some new drugs that have been released from clinical trials that are showing less then admirable results.
In mid 2005 the FDA put strong cautions on most of these drugs due to their potentially dangerous side effects. Several of the drugs including one that is highly publicized, Zelnorm have new FDA label warnings. The warning refers to serious consequences of diarrhea (including hypovolemia, hypotension, and syncope) that occurred both during clinical trials and during marketed use. None of the new drugs are approved for long term use.
If Irritable Bowel Syndrome has such a devastating affect, why then isn't more information on the research being done on Irritable bowel Syndrome available? If Irritable bowel Syndrome affects so many people and causes so many missed work days, then why isn't there more research being done to find the cause and extrapolate a cure? In actuality there is a large amount of research being done. The reasons for that information not being in the public lime light are probably due to privacy issues set down by the Federal Advisory Committee.
It seems that the National institute of Health, which is under the National office of Health and Human Services, does indeed initiate large grants to universities and companies to conduct research. The reasons we may not be aware of these research projects might be due to privacy agreements adhered to by the government as well as those entities that apply for the grants to conduct the research. That may also be why these research projects never become media headlines. All the grant hearings and meetings take place behind closed doors. All the information that comes and goes is held in strict adherence to the guidelines as set forth by the Federal Advisory Committee. Their guidelines state that because those that might be involved in the research stand a risk of their private information being made public, grant applications and research project proposals, at least up front are handled behind closed doors.
But why are the findings of Federally Funded research on Irritable bowel syndrome never made public? Why don't we hear about new developments and how the research is being developed? Why is it no new information of consequence seems to have been released about IBS in over a decade? Is it because all the research has been a "bust"? Is it possible that there are no new findings? Is the scientific community so baffled and befuddled by Irritable Bowel syndrome that no new head way has been made? Not likely, and the answer to those "why" questions might be simply answer with one word "Money".
Because of the enormity of the effect that Irritable bowel syndrome has, and the vast number of people who suffer, the amount of potential money to be made could be an astronomical figure should a new development that leads to a cure or to the discovery of an actual cause be found
An anonymous source inside a facility that conducts Irritable Bowel Syndrome research characterized the research by saying that it falls into a gray area of scientific study. Because the research lacks moral urgency, meaning the disease isn't killing people, or putting people in the hospital for long terms, it has the potential to be one of the best commercially viable research endeavourers in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Thus most of the information and research data of any value are closely guarded.
That being said, one might think that a question of ethics needs to be addressed. Is it ethical for research that concerns public health in such a large fashion, to be guarded so closely? Or should the information be shared among research facilities in an attempt to bring about faster and possibly better results, giving a brighter hope of bringing about some type of relief to the millions who suffer? What is more important? For now, it would seem the money is.
With no way to gauge results or even speculate on upcoming possibilities, the next big news break about Irritable bowel syndrome probably wont be until a some drug company takes a new wonder drug out of clinical trials and gets FDA approval to bring it to market leaving us all to wonder if any simpler, less lucrative measures of treating IBS have been passed over in pursuit of capital gain.
For now there may be no easy answers, no magic pill and no set standards for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome but there is the hope of tomorrow. A fledgling website has been fostered by a few concerned contributors feeling the need of bringing to IBS sufferers the best information available on the subject. Its contributors, suffers themselves, give their time and efforts actively seeking out any and all information that has the possibility of giving even the smallest amount of relief for those that struggle with Irritable bowel Syndrome. IBS Help Site.com though in its infancy, is in hope of helping, with timely information and ideas all focused on the care and treatment of those that have IBS. Someday, the greatest thrill would be the ability to post, in big and bold letters, that a cure for IBS has been found. Visit http://ibshelpsite.com for more IBS information. For articles concerning Irritable Bowel Syndrome please visit http://ibshelpsite.com/articles/
About the Author
Scott Best is a freelance author for many sites, and also an IBS sufferer. He has graciously agreed to be an occasional contributor and editor for IBS Help Site at http://IBSHelpSite.com
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/36923.html
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