Talley NJ, Powell N, Walker MM, et al. - Researchers investigated whether smoking confers an independent risk for functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in three population‐based endoscopy studies in Sweden including 2,560 community individuals in total (mean age 51.5 years, 46% male). Significantly higher odds of postprandial distress syndrome (FD‐PDS) but not epigastric pain were detected in people smoking cigarettes. There were significantly higher odds of IBS‐diarrhoea, diarrhoea, urgency and flatus among people smoking 20 or more cigarettes per day, vs non‐smokers. Experts found no link of smoking with IBS‐constipation or IBS‐mixed. Overall, smoking was identified as an essential environmental risk factor for postprandial distress syndrome, the most common FD subgroup, with heavy smokers exhibiting over a twofold elevated odds of PDS. Possibly, smoking plays a crucial role in IBS‐diarrhoea, but not constipation.