Irritable bowel syndrome in adolescence is usually resolved
Two out of three adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) start adulthood without the disease, according to a long-term study published in Gastroenterology by researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institutet. The researchers also note that several factors in adolescence which increase the risk of adult IBS can be influenced.
IBS is a common condition that often causes long-term abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhoea, irregular bowel movements, and gas. In a new study, researchers have investigated how early factors may be linked to the risk of IBS in adulthood.
The study was based on the BAMSE Swedish population study at Karolinska Institutet and followed 2,539 individuals born in the 1990s. All had been reported at the ages of 16 and 24 for possible IBS symptoms in accordance with an internationally established assessment model.
Good prognosis in teenagers
The strongest risk factor for IBS at the age of 24 was having had the disease at 16. At the same time, the prognosis was relatively good. Two out of three 16-year-olds with IBS no longer met the criteria by the age of 24.
“Our results show that IBS in adolescence is not a static condition,” says Jessica Sjölund, a research physician in gastroenterology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. “For many, symptoms improve over time, and at the same time we can now better identify those at a greater risk of persistent problems.”
Both genes and environment play a role
As well as IBS in adolescence, a number of additional factors that increased the risk of IBS at the age of 24 were also identified, including recurrent abdominal pain, psychological stress, poorer self-rated health, lack of sleep, and food hypersensitivities. A strong risk factor for IBS at the age of 16 to remain at the age of 24 was IBS in at least one parent.
“The link between generations suggests that both genetic factors and shared environmental and behavioural patterns play a role,” adds Ola Olén, a consultant in paediatric gastroenterology and an adjunct professor at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet. “It also brings opportunities for preventive strategies aimed at families where IBS is already present.”
Factors that can be influenced
The researchers emphasise that the results are clinically relevant because several of the identified risk factors have the potential to be influenced.
“Early interventions during adolescence related to sleep, mental wellbeing, and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as interventions aimed at families with clustering of IBS, could reduce the risk of long-term symptoms later in life,” says Magnus Simrén, a consultant and professor of gastroenterology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.
See the scientific article for information on funding and conflicts of interest.
This news article is based on a press release from the University of Gothenburg.
Publication
“Adolescent Risk Factors for the Presence and Persistence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Young Adulthood – Findings From a Prospective Birth Cohort”, Jessica Sjölund, Jóhann P. Hreinsson, Anna Bergström, Hans Törnblom, Magnus Simrén, Ola Olén, Gastroenterology, online 30 January 2026.