Yuck...did anyone hear about this? Lynda Carter speaking about Irritiable Bowel Syndrome? Probably not a good candidate for RectalRooter.com. Just a hunch, though! :winkwink
Actress Lynda Carter Champions The Need To Talk About IBS
New Report From The Society For Women's Health Research Shows Common Condition Is Widely Misunderstood, Mistreated
NEW YORK, NY--(INTERNET WIRE)--Dec 4, 2002 -- Actress Lynda Carter will champion a nationwide public education initiative, Talk IBS, designed to educate women about the symptoms and management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and to arm them with the tools to work with their physicians to get proper diagnosis and care. The launch of Talk IBS was sparked by the findings of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Women: The Unmet Needs, a new report from the Society for Women's Health Research, that finds the symptoms of IBS with constipation - which include abdominal discomfort or pain, bloating, and constipation - significantly impact the physical, social and emotional well-being of IBS sufferers.
"My mother suffered with IBS for over 30 years because she never got the proper diagnosis or care," said Lynda Carter, Actress and daughter of an IBS sufferer. "I want to urge everyone who suffers from the multiple symptoms of IBS to seek medical care for proper diagnosis because, for many patients, IBS can now be managed effectively."
The Report, which was reviewed by a panel of five leading experts and based on market research studies, finds that although IBS affects up to 20 percent of the adult American population and costs the U.S. healthcare system up to an estimated $30 billion annually, this serious medical condition remains under-diagnosed, mistreated and is often misunderstood by both practitioners and the general public.
"IBS is a serious problem affecting millions of Americans and it is crucial that we highlight this often debilitating condition," said Phyllis Greenberger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Women's Health Research. "Approximately 70 percent of those with IBS are women, making this condition one of the many that affects women more than men. Bringing attention to IBS will encourage both proper diagnosis and additional research to continue to improve management of this condition."
Findings Reveal Major Impact on the Lives of IBS Sufferers
One in four IBS patients suffers from symptoms daily, yet IBS is often not viewed as a serious medical condition, leading to a lack of empathy from family members, friends and coworkers. Specifically, the Report finds that 88 percent of IBS sufferers consider their symptoms as "bothersome" and 60 percent regard the problem as "extremely/very severe." A slightly larger proportion of IBS with constipation patients find their overall condition to be "extremely/very painful" (44 percent) compared with those with IBS with diarrhea (38 percent).
"The Report also examines the social implications of IBS, finding that the condition greatly alters the quality of people's lives," said Margaret Heitkemper, RN, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Women's Health Research, Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington in Seattle, and expert panel member for the Report. "Discomfort from the symptoms of IBS can be painful for many patients, causing them to miss work, school or social events, yet many Americans still do not recognize IBS as a common medical disorder."
More than two-thirds of IBS sufferers (68 percent) report missing out on average one activity per week. According to a survey used to create the Report, 40 percent of the IBS sufferers polled had the disorder for four to ten years and one third suffered from symptoms for 11 years or more.
Report Methodologies
The Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Women: The Unmet Needs findings are primarily based on two studies conducted from June through August 2000 - an in-depth Gastrointestinal (GI) Sufferer Study, with 1,013 sufferers from functional GI disorders; and an in-depth Physician Study, with 711 primary care physicians and gastroenterologists. A third study, the IBS Medications Side Effects Study, was conducted in January 2002, with 668 sufferers diagnosed with either IBS with constipation or IBS with alternating constipation and diarrhea. These studies and subsequent Report were supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
About Talk IBS
IBS is characterized by abdominal discomfort or pain, bloating and altered bowel function (constipation, diarrhea, or alternating). IBS is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders and is a leading cause of workplace absenteeism, second only to the common cold. While IBS touches all demographic groups it is most common among women and younger adults.
According to the Report, it can take nearly three years before IBS sufferers receive an official diagnosis from the time they first experience their symptoms. This may in part be due to the fact that patients' symptoms were not initially recognized as a serious medical condition. The Talk IBS campaign aims to reduce the time it takes for proper diagnosis by providing several tools such as a self-assessment questionnaire, informational IBS brochure and comprehensive Web site equipping women with information to enhance dialogue with their doctor. Talk IBS materials are available by visiting
www.talkibs.org or phoning 1-86-NEWS-4-IBS.
About The Society for Women's Health Research
The Society for Women's Health Research is the nation's only not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to improve the health of women through research. Founded in 1990, the Society brought national attention to the need for the appropriate inclusion of women in major medical research studies and the resulting need for more information about conditions affecting women. The Society advocates increased funding for research on women's health, encourages the study of sex differences that may affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, and promotes the inclusion of women in medical research studies. For more information about the Society for Women's Health Research visit
www.womens-health.org.
Talk IBS and Lynda Carter's involvement in the Talk IBS campaign are supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Key Findings Of The Report - media.internetwire.com/attachments/200212/150416_SWHRImpactReportFactSheetFinal115.doc