Constipation is one of the most common chronic gastrointestinal disorders in adults.1,2 In a 1997 epidemiology of constipation study that surveyed 10,018 persons,
12 percent of men and 16 percent of women met criteria for constipation.3 Annually, constipation accounts for 2.5 million physician visits and 92,000 hospitalizations in the United States.4-6 Constipation compromises quality of life, social functioning, and the ability to perform activities of daily living.7,8 These factors are important predictors of constipation-associated health care use and resultant health care costs.6,9 This article reviews an approach for the evaluation of chronic constipation in adults.