NEWS & EVENTS

Two recent publications led by Dr. Jingyuan LUO and Prof. Zhaoxiang BIAN, research members of Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, shed light on the clinical challenges and diagnostic dilemmas of functional constipation (FC) and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C).

In the March 2025 issue of Current Gastroenterology Reports, Dr. Luo and colleagues published a comprehensive review titled “Decoding Abdominal Pain in IBS-C and FC: Mechanisms and Managements”. This paper critically explores the complex and heterogeneous mechanisms underlying abdominal pain in chronic constipation subtypes, ranging from visceral hypersensitivity and gut-brain axis dysregulation in IBS-C to colonic distension in FC. The authors highlight the limitations of current therapies and advocate for future research integrating multi-omics and neuroimaging to identify pain-specific biomarkers and develop precision treatment strategies. This review comparatively evaluates pain in both conditions and proposes a future roadmap for personalized care.

In a second study published in the April 2025 issue of BMC Gastroenterology, “Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis of IBS-C and FC in Adults: A Scoping Review”, Dr. Luo and colleagues evaluated 27 global clinical practice guidelines. The results reveal striking inconsistencies in diagnostic criteria across regions and highlight the need for harmonization, especially in the use of pain and bowel movement frequency as diagnostic anchors. This work emphasizes the necessity for more objective, biomarker-based definitions to improve diagnosis and clinical decision-making in chronic constipation.

Together, these studies contribute meaningful insights into the mechanisms, diagnosis, and management of FC and IBS-C, two burdensome yet often misunderstood gastrointestinal disorders.