Background & Aims Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases account for substantial morbidity, mortality and cost. Statistical analyses of the most recent data are necessary to guide GI research, education and clinical practice. We estimate the burden of GI disease in the US. Methods We collected information on the epidemiology of GI diseases (including cancers) and symptoms, along with data on resource utilization, quality of life, impairments to work and activity, morbidity, and mortality. These data were obtained from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; National Health and Wellness Survey; Nationwide Inpatient Sample; Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program; National Vital Statistics System; Thompson Reuters MarketScan®; Medicare; Medicaid; and the Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative’s National Endoscopic Database. We estimated endoscopic use and costs and examined trends in endoscopic procedure. Results Abdominal pain was the most common gastrointestinal symptom that prompted a clinic visit (15.9 million visits). Gastroesophageal reflux was the most common GI diagnosis (8.9 million visits). Hospitalizations and mortality from Clostridium difficile infection have doubled in the last 10 years. Acute pancreatitis was the most common reason for hospitalization (274,119 discharges). Colorectal cancer accounted for more than half of all GI cancers and was the leading cause of GI-related mortality (52,394 deaths). There were 6.9 million upper, 11.5 million lower, and 228,000 biliary endoscopies performed in 2009. The total cost for outpatient gastrointestinal endoscopy examinations was $32.4 billion. Conclusions GI diseases are a source of substantial morbidity, mortality and cost in the US.

Background & Aims Gastrointestinal (GI), liver, and pancreatic diseases are a source of substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost in the United States (US). Quantification and statistical analyses of the burden of these diseases are important for researchers, clinicians, policy makers, and public health professionals. We gathered data from national databases to estimate the burden and cost of GI and liver disease in the US. Methods We collected statistics on healthcare utilization in the ambulatory and inpatient setting along with data on cancers and mortality from 2007 through 2012. We included trends in utilization and charges. The most recent data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the National Cancer Institute. Results There were 7 million diagnoses of gastroesophageal reflux and almost 4 million diagnoses of hemorrhoids in the ambulatory setting in a year. Functional and motility disorders resulted in nearly 1 million emergency department visits in 2012; most of these visits were for constipation. GI hemorrhage was the most common diagnosis leading to hospitalization, with more than 500,000 discharges in 2012 at a cost of nearly $5 billion dollars. Hospitalizations and associated charges for inflammatory bowel disease, Clostridium difficile infection, and chronic liver disease have increased over the last 20 years. In 2011, there were more than 1 million people in the US living with colorectal cancer. The leading GI cause of death was colorectal cancer, followed by pancreatic and hepatobiliary neoplasms. Conclusions GI and liver diseases are a source of substantial burden and cost in the US.

Gastrointestinal and liver diseases are significant contributors to the morbidity, mortality, and health-care expenditures of the U.S. population.

Gastrointestinal and liver diseases are associated with significant outpatient and inpatient healthcare utilization. Following trends in utilization is important for determining allocation of resources for health care and research.

Objectives Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients show pain hypersensitivity and hypercontractility in response to colonic or rectal distention. Aims were to determine whether predominant bowel habits and IBS symptom severity are related to pain sensitivity, colon motility, or smooth muscle tone. Methods 129 patients classified as IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D, n=44), IBS with constipation (IBS-C, n=29), mixed IBS (IBS-M, n=45) and unspecified IBS (IBS-U, n=11) based on stool consistency, and 30 healthy controls (HC) were studied. A manometric catheter containing a 600-ml capacity plastic bag was positioned in the descending colon. Pain threshold was assessed using a barostat. Motility was assessed for 10 min with the bag minimally inflated (individual operating pressure or IOP), 10 min at 20 mmHg above the IOP, and for 15-min recovery following bag inflation. Motility was also recorded for 30 min following an 810-kcal meal. Results Compared to HC, IBS patients had lower pain thresholds (medians: 30 vs. 40 mmHg, p<0.01), but IBS subtypes were not different. IBS symptom severity was correlated with pain thresholds (rho=-0.36, p<0.001). During distention, the motility index (MI) was significantly higher in IBS compared to HC (909±73 vs. 563±78, p<0.01). Average barostat bag volume at baseline was higher (muscle tone lower) in HC compared to IBS-D and IBS-M but not compared to IBS-C. The baseline MI and bag volume differed between IBS-D and IBS-C and correlated with symptoms of abdominal distention and dissatisfaction with bowel movements. Pain thresholds and MI during distention were uncorrelated. Conclusions Pain sensitivity and colon motility are independent factors contributing to IBS symptoms. Treatment may need to address both and to be specific to predominant bowel habit.