An Overview of Constipation Management in the Elderly Population: Systematic Review

Background: Constipation is a communal serviceable gastrointestinal (GI) ailment. Prevalence of constipation usually varies according to the used description and reviewed community-based studied. Objective: to assess the management lines of constipation among the population, especially the elderly. Method: This is a systematic review was conducted, including PubMed database searches were performed for the published articles about the prevalence, causes, risk factors, and management lines of constipation among the population, especially the elderly, in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. Results: Afterward functioning the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the 45 identified papers were further reduced to 22 papers for full-text assessment and only 15 papers were included. Conclusion: Extraordinary prevalence of constipation remained observed among the population, especially the elderly, in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. Constipation is a consequence of a group of risk influences, as per reduced physical activity subsequent from long-lasting diseases, reduced fiber, and fluid intake, and multiple medication intakes. Fiber supplementation and laxatives are considered the first line and effective treatment in most patients. Surgical treatment is hardly ever specified for constipation.