Suffering in Silence - The Real Impact of the Last Taboo

Ingelheim, Germany (ots/PRNewswire) - Constipation is a condition
that we are all familiar with, however, according to new
international research from Dulcolax(R), constipation actually
affects much more than just bowel movements and can have a severely
detrimental impact on people's quality of life, in some cases
comparable to that experienced by people suffering from more serious
ailments.

The Dulcolax(R) survey involved 2,870 patients from the UK, USA,
Germany, France, Italy, Brazil and South Korea. It measured, for the
first time on such a large scale, how constipation impacts on quality
of life and shows that people with constipation have a much lower
quality of life than non-constipated people. Key findings showed:

- People who are constipated feel worse about their general
health, believe they are more prone to falling ill and think that
their health is more likely to deteriorate

- The frequency and extent to which health problems interfered
with social activities were both much worse when compared to
non-constipated people

- The negative impact on being able to perform normal physical
activities was greater for people with constipation. These ranged
from vigorous activities such as running and lifting heavy objects to
bending, kneeling, stooping or even walking several hundred metres

- Bodily pain was also reported more frequently in constipated
people

Perhaps the most surprising results are that, the impact on
quality of life for a constipation sufferer can be as bad as that
described by people with chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart
disease. (1)

Professor Wald, from the University of Wisconsin School of
Medicine and Public Health, USA and one of the lead professors
scientifically guiding the survey comments, "It is important that the
results of this study be made available to healthcare professionals.
The goal of treating constipation should be an improved quality of
life, as well as relief from physical symptoms."

However, due to the many myths that still surround constipation,
sufferers already blame themselves unnecessarily for their symptoms;
one recent independent and comprehensive review showed that many
people still wrongly believe that their diet (e.g. not eating enough
fibre or drinking enough water) and lifestyle (not doing enough
exercise) are the causes of their symptoms and so feel that it is
their fault that they have constipation.(2)

The results from this new survey show that in addition to this
guilt there is also an emotional burden which in turn can make
sufferers feel even more affected by the condition. It is important
to educate healthcare professionals so that new steps can be taken to
recognise this emotional burden and its bearing on the patient's
quality of life.

"Constipation is not a subject that people talk about, so it makes
it hard to let people know just how much it is affecting you. I've
always been too embarrassed to talk openly about how I feel. Also, I
am worried that people will think I'm making more out of it than
there really is, so I just keep it to myself, which makes me feel
quite isolated," says Helena West a constipation sufferer from
London, UK. She continues, "The truth is that when I'm constipated, I
feel unattractive, irritable and I'm often in a lot of pain, which is
something a lot of people don't realise. The worst thing is I don't
feel like I can be myself as it takes over my thoughts and stops me
from being me. "

With Dulcolax(R), a remedy is available that can relieve the
symptoms of constipation effectively whilst being gentle to the
insides and helping sufferers to get back to a normal and active
everyday life. Dulcolax(R) understands that sufferers carry this
emotional burden and has been developing its range of solutions over
the last 50 years to offer constipation sufferers discreet remedies
that work with the body's natural rhythm,(3) minimising the impact of
this condition upon the sufferers' daily life and helping them get
back to normal.

For more information about how Dulcolax(R) can help you, please
ask your pharmacist or visit http://www.dulcolax.com

Notes to Editors

Dulcolax(R)

Dulcolax(R) (bisacodyl and sodium picosulphate) is a safe(3-8) and
effective laxative available worldwide for the gentle yet effective
treatment of constipation(3),(5-11). The active ingredients in
Dulcolax(R) act only where they are needed, in the
colon,(3-4),(13-26) and stimulate the natural movements of the
bowels, alleviating the symptoms of constipation.

The Burden of Constipation on Quality of Life: A Multi-National
Survey

The Burden of Constipation on Quality of Life survey is a
multi-national survey carried out between June and October 2005. It
was conducted in seven countries; the UK, USA, Germany, France,
Italy, Brazil and South Korea and was divided into two phases:
constipated people were included in the first phase, non-constipated
people were interviewed in the second phase. The results give new
insights into how constipation impacts on quality of life and
highlights a real need for the emotional element to be considered
when treating the condition, as well as the physical aspect of it.

Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it
operates globally with 137 affiliates in 47 countries and 38,400
employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has
been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and
marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and
veterinary medicine.

In 2006, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 10.6 billion
euro while spending one fifth of net sales in its largest business
segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.

The Consumer Health Care business is one of the core businesses of
the Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation and strives to serve customers
worldwide with top-quality pharmaceuticals for self-medication and is
widely known for its products such as: Pharmaton(R), Dulcolax(R),
Bisolvon(R), Mucosolvan(R), Buscopan(R), Antistax(R) and
Mucoangin(R).

Boehringer Ingelheim Consumer Healthcare is ranked the 7th largest
supplier of self-medication products. For more information, visit
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

For more information please visit
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/

References

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Constipation on Quality of Life. Alimentary Pharmacology &
Therapeutics 2007;26 (2):277-36.

(2). Müller-Lissner SA, Kamm MA, Scarpignato C, Wald A. Myths and
Misconceptions About Chronic Constipation. American Journal of
Gastroenterology 2005;100(1):232-42. Review.

(3). Kienzle-Horn S, Vix JM, Schuijt C, Peil H, Jordan CC, Kamm
MA. Comparison of bisacodyl and sodium picosulphate in the treatment
of chronic constipation. Curr Med Res Opin 2007;23(4):691-699

(4). Kienzle-Horn S, Vix JM, Schuijt C, Peil H, Jordan CC, Kamm
MA. Efficacy and safety of bisacodyl in the acute treatment of
constipation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006;23(10):1479-1488.

(5). IMS MIDAS/PADDS.

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(7). Kienzle-Horn S, Vix JM, Schuijt C, Peil H, Jordan CC, Kamm
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(14). Present A, Jansson B, Burhenne H, et al. Evaluation of 12
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(16). Brocklehurst J. Treatment of constipation and faecal
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(17). Smith J, Schwartz E. Evaluation of a new contact laxative,
bisacodyl (Dulcolax), in obstetrics and gynaecology. Western Journal
of Surgery, Obstetrics, and Gynecology 1964;72:177-180.

(18). Eid C, Martel W, Tupper C. The use of bisacodyl (Dulcolax)
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(19). Sowerbutts J. Use of bisacodyl in preparation of the bowels
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(20). Fitzsimons P, Shorvon P, Frost R, et al. A Comparison of
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(22). Mundinger A, Dengel H, Leibersperger H. Comparative study of
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(23). Mahieu P. Comparative evaluation of a new cleansing method
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(24). Burlefinger R, Ottenjann R. Short-lavage for whole-gut
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ots Originaltext: Boehringer Ingelheim
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For any further information, please contact: Dr. Reinhard Malin,
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany, Tel.:
+49-(0)6132-77-90815, Fax: +49-(0)6132-77-6601