To date it’s been difficult for GPs to diagnose Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). That’s all about to change, thanks to Dr Mark Pimentel, a gastroenterologist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles who has developed a test for IBS..
It has taken Dr Pimentel and his colleagues eight years to develop a blood test, which identifies the presence of specific antibodies (anti-Cdtb and anti-vinculin) that are elevated in people with IBS. The researchers analysed close to 3,000 people to establish the tests effectiveness and compared participants with IBS to those with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). The blood test was found to identify the antibodies with more than 90 percent accuracy.
”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,” explains Dr Pimentel. “With these new blood tests, many patients will now be able to proceed right to therapy for their condition.” Hopefully if won’t be too long before such testing is available in Australia.
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