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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1309 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1309

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there is need 
 for further study of the Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder (FGID) 
                    Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2010

 Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Mr. Sensenbrenner, and Mr. Welch) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
 and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services and 
 Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there is need 
 for further study of the Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder (FGID) 
                    Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Whereas IBS is a chronic FGID characterized by symptoms including pain or 
        discomfort in the abdomen and altered bowel habit;
Whereas abnormal functioning of the nerves and muscles of the bowel produce the 
        symptoms of IBS, and dysregulation between the brain, gastrointestinal 
        tract, and central nervous system causes the bowel to become irritated, 
        or overly sensitive to stimuli;
Whereas IBS is common in the general population, affecting people of all ages 
        including children and seniors, but a social stigma surrounding bowel 
        function persists;
Whereas IBS is one of the underlying disorders highly correlated with Gulf War 
        Syndrome and IBS remains a serious issue for military veterans who have 
        been deployed to combat areas;
Whereas there is no definitive test for IBS, and diagnosis is made via symptom-
        based criteria, extensive medical history, physical examination, and 
        limited medical testing;
Whereas IBS symptoms may come and go, persist over a long period of time, or 
        change over time, and can range from mild and infrequent to severe and 
        chronic, affecting daily functioning;
Whereas people suffering from IBS frequently report gastrointestinal dysfunction 
        including heartburn, nausea, abdominal fullness, and bloating and may 
        also experience dyspepsia, feelings of urgency, and feelings of 
        incomplete bowel emptying;
Whereas people suffering from IBS frequently report non-gastrointestinal 
        problems including fatigue, muscle pain, insomnia, headache, lower back 
        pain, and sexual dysfunction;
Whereas IBS affects between 25 and 45 million people in the United States, or 10 
        to 15 percent of the population, and an estimated 9 to 23 percent of 
        populations worldwide suffer from IBS;
Whereas two in every three IBS sufferers are female, and gastrointestinal tract 
        function appears to be influenced by changes in the level of female 
        hormones;
Whereas effective treatment for the multiple symptoms of IBS is lacking;
Whereas IBS sufferers frequently use medication therapy, stress management, 
        cognitive-behavioral therapy, gastrointestinal-directed hypnosis, 
        biofeedback, relaxation, and pain management techniques attempting to 
        control their symptoms;
Whereas IBS sufferers frequently use a variety of medications for IBS symptoms 
        such as non-narcotic and narcotic pain medications, acid reducers, 
        antidiarrheals, and laxatives, however, few patients report satisfaction 
        with available treatments, highlighting the pressing need to find new 
        and more effective treatments for IBS;
Whereas IBS can control many aspects of a person's emotional, social and 
        professional life, and quality of life is often affected due to activity 
        limitations that can impair physical, emotional, economic, educational, 
        and social well-being;
Whereas the annual cost of IBS treatment in the United States has been estimated 
        to be between $1.7 billion and $10 billion in direct medical, excluding 
        prescription and over-the-counter medications, and $20 billion in 
        indirect medical costs;
Whereas IBS frequently takes a toll on the workplace, reflected in work 
        absenteeism, lost productivity, and lost opportunities for the 
        individual and society;
Whereas approximately 20 to 40 percent of all visits to gastroenterologists are 
        due to IBS symptoms, contributing substantially to healthcare costs;
Whereas there is a significant need for further research on IBS to improve 
        diagnostic and treatment options for patients, and reduce the high 
        socioeconomic burden on IBS sufferers and on society;
Whereas the designation of April as National IBS Awareness Month has increased 
        public education about IBS and the need for increased Federal funding 
        for research on FGIDs; and
Whereas National IBS Awareness Month has been celebrated as a health observation 
        during the month of April for the last thirteen years: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
        should take a leadership role in the search for new treatment 
        options and a cure for IBS by--
                    (A) encouraging the National Institute of Diabetes 
                and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to implement 
                the research recommendations of the National Commission 
                on Digestive Diseases;
                    (B) exploring collaborative research opportunities 
                between the NIDDK, the Office of Research on Women's 
                Health, and other NIH Institutes and Centers;
                    (C) encouraging NIDDK to provide the necessary 
                funding for continued expansion and advancement of the 
                IBS research portfolio through intramural and 
                extramural research; and
                    (D) encouraging NIDDK to provide the necessary 
                funding for education with respect to IBS and FGID 
                through the cosponsorship of workshops and seminars 
                with patient organizations;
            (2) funding should be increased for basic and clinical 
        biomedical research into IBS and other FGID through NIH;
            (3) the Director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 
        should take a leadership role in ensuring that new IBS 
        treatments are developed and appropriately monitored by--
                    (A) issuing further guidance to industry on the 
                development criteria and adverse event standards for 
                IBS treatments; and
                    (B) encouraging the participation of patients 
                groups and considering the views of patients when 
                discussing standards and protocols for the development 
                and monitoring of IBS treatments; and
            (4) the Department of Defense and the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs should bolster their efforts to study IBS and 
        FGIDs, and their association with war trauma.
                                 <all>
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