From the Journals

Anxiety Linked to Gut Disease Trajectories

Longitudinal electronic health record data are used to examine temporal relationships between psychiatric and gastrointestinal diagnoses.

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Anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show a significant reciprocal relationship, with each condition linked to more than double the risk of developing the other, according to a study utilizing the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network's health records. The study analyzed adults aged 18 and older diagnosed with anxiety, IBS, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) between 2021 and 2024. Results indicate that patient histories reveal anxiety is associated with a higher subsequent diagnosis of IBS than vice versa. Despite its retrospective nature, the findings provide insights into these comorbid conditions. Limitations included potential misclassification and unmeasured confounding factors. Lead author Zachary Li emphasizes stronger associations between anxiety and IBS compared to IBD.

Original Source(s)

Anxiety Linked to Gut Disease Trajectories

Longitudinal electronic health record data are used to examine temporal relationships between psychiatric and gastrointestinal diagnoses.

  • by Kathryn Wighton

  • February 11, 2026

  • 3 min

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