Clinical Trials for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions, including digestive diseases.

What are clinical trials for IBS?

Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies—are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Researchers are studying many aspects of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), such as

• the relationship between the colon microbiome and IBS symptoms
• genetic and neurological factors related to IBS
• the development of IBS after an acute gastrointestinal infection

Find out if clinical studies are right for you.

Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

What clinical studies for IBS are looking for participants?

You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on IBS that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www.ClinicalTrials.gov. You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the NIH does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe. Always talk with your health care provider before you participate in a clinical study.

What have we learned about IBS from NIDDK-funded research?

The NIDDK has supported many research projects to learn more about IBS. For example, an NIDDK-supported clinical trial found that a home-based version of cognitive behaviorally therapy led to significant and lasting improvement in IBS symptoms.