Nearly everyone has experienced a digestive illness. Perhaps it was a self-limiting bout of “intestinal flu” or heartburn or a more serious condition such as chronic ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or carcinoma of the colon. Nevertheless, the social impact of digestive diseases is probably underappreciated.

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are dramatic illnesses that command a great deal of public attention. These disorders are associated with a high mortality and generally affect the older segment of the population. On the other hand, digestive disorders afflict a large number of people in all age groups and are associated with considerable pain, disability, and time lost from school, work, and other activities and considerable health care costs.