Chronic constipation is a prevalent disorder that affects patients' quality of life and consumes resources in healthcare systems worldwide. In clinical practice, it is still considered a challenge as clinicians frequently are unsure as to which treatments to use and when. Over a decade ago, a Neurogastroenterology & Motility journal supplement devoted to the investigation and management of constipation was published (2009; 21 (Suppl.2)). This included seven articles, disseminating all themes covered during a preceding 2‐day meeting held in London, entitled “Current perspectives in chronic constipation: a scientific and clinical symposium.” In October 2018, the 3rd London Masterclass, entitled “Contemporary management of constipation” was held, again over 2 days. All faculty members were invited to author two new review articles, which represent a collective synthesis of talks presented and discussions held during this meeting.

中文翻译：

---

成人慢性便秘：当代观点和临床挑战。1：流行病学、诊断、临床关联、病理生理学和调查

慢性便秘是一种普遍存在的疾病，会影响患者的生活质量并消耗全球医疗保健系统的资源。在临床实践中，它仍然被认为是一个挑战，因为临床医生经常不确定使用哪种治疗方法以及何时使用。十多年前，Neurogastroenterology & Motility发表了专门研究和管理便秘的期刊增刊（2009；21（增刊 2））。这包括七篇文章，传播了在伦敦举行的前两天会议上涵盖的所有主题，题为“慢性便秘的当前观点：科学和临床研讨会”。2018年10月，第三届伦敦大师班，题为“便秘的当代管理”，再次历时2天。邀请所有教职员工撰写两篇新的评论文章，这些文章代表了本次会议期间提出的演讲和讨论的集体综合。