New Diagnostic Blood Tests Prove Irritable Bowel Syndrome Isn't Just a 'Psychological Disorder'

Two simple blood tests promise to detect Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) that has remained impossible to diagnose in the laboratory until now.

Developed by gastroenterologists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the tests detect antibodies anti-Cdtb and anti-vinculin produced in the gut as reaction to toxins that cause IBS. The onset of syndrome is reported after food poisoning due to salmonella and other bacteria.

"Having an early diagnosis means patients can avoid years of invasive tests and visits to specialists that often leave them with more questions than answers. With these new blood tests, many patients will now be able to proceed right to therapy for their condition," said Mark Pimentel, director of the GI Motility Lab at the center.

IBS is said to affect nearly 40 million people in the US and is hard to diagnose in the lab. The syndrome is associated with frequent bouts of diarrhea, constipation, flatulence and stomach bloating. Patients are often told that the condition is in their head. It can take years before a diagnosis is made.

"Most IBS patients have been told at one time or another that the disease was psychological, all in their head. The fact that we can now confirm the disease through their blood, not their head, is going to end a lot of the emotional suffering I have seen these patients endure," Pimentel said.