便秘是一种世界性的常见病和慢性病。近年来，随着生活节奏的加快、生活方式的改变等多因素的影响。慢性便秘的患病率呈上升趋势。慢性便秘不仅可明显影响病人的生活质量，对于老年人还是一个严重的健康问题。肠功能检查方法很多，除有助于对发病机制的了解外，还可指导药物种类的选择，手术方式的制定，手术疗效预测以及治疗效果评价。

Clinical significance of tests for bowel function in patients with chronic constipation        ZOU Duo-wu, ZHANG Ling. Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
Corresponding author：ZOU Duo-wu，E-mail:dwzou@smmu.edu.cn
Abstract    Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint in the world. The prevalence of chronic constipation increases with the quickening pace and the changes of lifestyles. Chronic constipation not only obviously affects the life quality of the patients, but also is a serious health issue, especially for old people. Tests for bowel function could give tremendous insight into the pathophysiological basis for constipation, guide the selection of drugs, develop individualized treatment programs, and evaluate pre- and postoperative effects.