- Anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) showed a strong bidirectional association over 5 years.
- Anxiety increased the risk of incident IBS and modestly increased the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- IBS more than doubled the risk of subsequent anxiety.
- IBD was not associated with a significant increase in later anxiety.
- Findings support integrated gastrointestinal and mental health screening in practice.
Source: Cureus
