Chronic Constipation Incidence

While chronic constipation seems to affect millions of people nationwide, few studies have been done to look at its incidence and predicting factors around the country. This article will review a study published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics that examined how often chronic constipation develops in healthy individuals and what might predict its onset.

What is Chronic Constipation?

Chronic constipation is usually defined by infrequent stool passage or a feeling of incomplete evacuation most of the times one tries to go to the bathroom. It leads to over 2.5 million physician visits per year and has been reported to cost upwards of $2,752 per patient per year. Treatment options range from pharmaceutical drugs to herbal laxatives.

Study Design

In order to find out the incidence of constipation, the study designers sent out nearly 5,000 surveys in Minnesota between 1988-1994. They surveys contained self-reported questions related to gastrointestinal habits and symptoms. They got back about 4,000 surveys they could use after accounting for non-responders and those who didn’t want to participate. The designers then waited until 2003 and sent out another set of surveys. Of the original 4,000 respondents, there were 645 subjects who responded to both the 1990’s survey and the 2003 survey and did not have constipation during the first survey. This allowed the researchers to see who developed chronic constipation over the 10 year period that didn’t have it before.

Results of the Study

Of the 645 health folks in 1993, 17% (or 112 people) developed chronic constipation by 2003. Most of them complained of straining and hard stools with only a small percentage complaining of going to bathroom infrequently. The researchers didn’t find many strong predictors of why people developed chronic constipation. It was definitely connected to age and gender (more likely to be constipated if over 60 and by being a female, at any age), but it was not statistically related to smoking history, alcohol consumption, or a history of GI infection.

Do you need a constipation remedy?

If you struggle with constipation, there are a variety of ways you can find chronic constipation relief. StayRegular is a natural probiotic solution for long-term colon support and health that will allow you to pass regular bowel movements over a long period of time. Other options like stimulant laxatives are short-term solutions. Examine all the evidence before making your decision and hopefully you’ll find a constipation treatment that works for you.