This study investigated whether diverticulitis might lead to IBS. The authors compared the incidence of IBS and functional bowel and related affective disorders among patients with diverticulitis. They performed a retrospective study of patients followed up for an average of 6.3 years at a Veteran’s Administration medical center. Patients with diverticulitis were identified based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision codes, selected for the analysis based on chart review and matched with patients without diverticulosis. They excluded patients with prior IBS, or prior functional bowel disorders, or mood disorders. They identified patients who were diagnosed with IBS or functional bowel disorders after the diverticulitis attack and controls who developed these disorders during the study period. The results showed that cases were 4.7-fold more likely to be diagnosed later with IBS, 2.4-fold more likely to be diagnosed later with a functional bowel disorder, and 2.2-fold more likely to develop a mood disorder than controls. The authors conclude that patients with diverticulitis could be at risk for later development of IBS and functional bowel disorders. Diverticulitis appears to predispose patients to long-term gastrointestinal and emotional symptoms after resolution of inflammation. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 March. PMID: 23524129
