Nature reviews. Disease primersOct 1, 2026

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Gut-Brain Axis Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Oct 3, 2026

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 4-11% of the global population.

IBS is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort linked to changes in bowel habits without identifiable structural disease.
The condition is associated with significant healthcare utilization, impaired quality of life, and a considerable socioeconomic burden.
IBS may arise from disrupted communication between the gut and brain, influenced by factors such as gastrointestinal motility, hypersensitivity, and gut microbiome changes.
It can develop following a gastrointestinal infection and often coexists with other gut-brain disorders and chronic pain conditions.
Diagnosis is based on symptom assessment using the Rome V criteria, supplemented by clinical evaluation and limited testing.
Management aims to enhance symptoms and quality of life through personalized strategies including education, diet, pharmacological treatments, and behavioral therapies.

Simplified

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most prevalent disorders of gut-brain interaction, characterized by recurrent abdominal pain or abdominal discomfort associated with altered bowel habits in the absence of identifiable structural disease. IBS affects ~4-11% of the global population and is associated with substantial healthcare utilization, impaired quality of life and considerable socioeconomic burden. IBS is increasingly recognized as a heterogeneous condition caused by dysregulated bidirectional communication within the gut-brain axis. Altered gastrointestinal motility, visceral hypersensitivity, epithelial barrier dysfunction, neuroimmune activation, gut microbiome and metabolome changes, central pain amplification, stress and autonomic dysregulation, and sex-related biological influences underlie pathophysiological mechanisms. IBS can develop after a gastrointestinal infection and can frequently co-occur with other disorders of gut-brain interaction, chronic pain conditions, psychological disorders and organic gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. Diagnosis relies on a positive symptom-based approach using the Rome V criteria, supported by clinical assessment and limited testing to exclude differential diagnoses. Management focuses on improving symptoms and quality of life through an individualized, stepwise approach that involves patient education, dietary interventions, pharmacological therapies and gut-brain behaviour therapies. Emerging biomarkers, multi-omics approaches, digital health tools and precision medicine strategies may enable mechanism-based diagnosis and targeted treatment in the future.