With a prevalence of up to 20%, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common diseases in the Western world. It is also said to be the second most common cause of work absenteeism. Nevertheless, the economic burden of IBS is often underestimated. At the ISPOR*3rd Annual European Conference [Antwerp, Belgium; November 2000], investigators from Germany presented the first study examining the burden of constipation-predominant and mixed-type IBS in that country.1Also presented was a Spanish study investigating healthcare resource use and quality of life among IBS patients meeting Rome I or II criteria.2