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RCGP Research Paper of the Year Award for IBS study

Press release issued: 3 October 2024

A trial that showed a cheap and widely available prescription drug can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients seen in GP surgeries has been awarded Research Paper of the Year by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

The ATLANTIS trial, led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Southampton, and Leeds, and published in The Lancetwas funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The RCGP Research Paper of the Year Award will be presented at the annual RCGP Conference today [3 October].  The award recognises and celebrates an individual or group of researchers who have undertaken and published an exceptional piece of research relating to general practice or primary care.  

The ATLANTIS trial showed that people with IBS taking low dose amitriptyline were almost twice as likely to report an overall improvement in their IBS symptoms to those taking a placebo. Amitriptyline, already prescribed at low dose for a range of other health conditions, was also more acceptable to participants than placebo and performed better across a wide range of IBS symptom measures.

The ATLANTIS results are widely applicable to the majority people with IBS as most have their condition managed in primary care by their GP.

Read the full University of Bristol news item

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