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Chronic Constipation: An Evidence-Based Review Full Text
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 07/21/2011
Evidence Based Medicine
Leung L et al. – Chronic constipation should be managed according to its etiology and guided by the best evidence–based treatment.
Methods- Information was synthesized from articles published in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
- Levels of evidence and recommendations were made according to the Strength of Recommendation taxonomy.
- The standard advice of increasing dietary fibers, fluids, and exercise for relieving chronic constipation will only benefit patients with true deficiency.
- Biofeedback works best for constipation caused by pelvic floor dysfunction
- Pharmacological agents increase bulk or water content in the bowel lumen or aim to stimulate bowel movements.
- Novel classes of compounds have emerged for treating chronic constipation, with promising clinical trial data
- Link between senna abuse and colon cancer remains unsupported.
