World IBS Day - April 19th: Raising Awareness for Everyone with IBS

Debunking myths about Irritable Bowel Syndrome

TORONTO, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Misunderstood and stigmatized, this condition significantly impacts individuals' quality of life. World IBS Day 2024 includes awareness for patients with IBS. World IBS Day is now recognized in 17 countries. Events are listed on the World IBS Day website. Use the hashtag #WorldIBSDay2024 to raise awareness on April 19^th.

Myths confuse patients preventing them from taking the first step in seeking treatment. Myth #1: IBS is a rare condition. It affects 10-15% globally and is not a rare condition. While more women are diagnosed with IBS, IBS is diagnosed in both women and men. Myth #2: IBS symptoms are the same in everyone. IBS can have diarrhea, constipation or a mixture of both. Abdominal pain and/or bloating is common in all forms. Myth #3: The right diet will cure IBS. The only diet found helpful for people with IBS is the low FODMAP diet. It's not a permanent diet, rather it helps patients understand which foods might be bothersome. Myth #4: IBS is all in your head. IBS involves the gut-brain axis and symptoms in the gut often overload the brain with signals that they are in distress.

World IBS Day was established by Jeffrey Roberts. Jeffrey has been an IBS sufferer for more than three decades. Jeffrey states that "World IBS Day was created to show patients that they are not alone living with IBS." He adds, "We were very grateful to add Ardelyx, Inc as our Lead Partner for 2024 who is leading our Light Up The Sky for IBS campaign. We are also thankful to include AbbVie and Ironwood as Partners for 2024."

"We're honored to join World IBS Day in their campaign to Light Up the Sky on April 19th, to bring visibility to the IBS community and the significant impact the disease has on patients' quality of life," said Johannah Ruddy, M.Ed, Director, Patient Advocacy of Ardelyx. "At Ardelyx, we're dedicated to advancing innovation and improving patient care for individuals living with IBS."

About Jeffrey Roberts:

Jeffrey Roberts, M.Ed, BSc is an IBS Patient Advocate. He was the creator of the first internet community for IBS sufferers in 1995. He currently runs the IBS Patient Support Group, is the co-founder of Tuesday Night IBS and founded World IBS Day in 2019. He has testified to the US FDA numerous times sharing what it is like to live with IBS.

About Ardelyx, Inc.:

Ardelyx was founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative, first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs. Ardelyx has two commercial products approved in the United States, IBSRELA® (tenapanor) and XPHOZAH® (tenapanor) as well as early-stage pipeline candidates. Ardelyx has agreements for the development and commercialization of tenapanor outside of the U.S. Kyowa Kirin commercializes PHOZEVEL® (tenapanor) for hyperphosphatemia in Japan. A New Drug Application for tenapanor for hyperphosphatemia has been submitted in China with Fosun Pharma. Knight Therapeutics commercializes IBSRELA in Canada., please visit ardelyx.com.

Media Contact:
Jeffrey Roberts, MSEd, BSc
203-424-0660 
[email protected]

SOURCE World IBS Day