RESEARCH - Irritable bowel syndrome increases risk of other conditions

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Irritable bowel increases risk of other conditions

Last Updated: 2006-10-06 14:09:45 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The findings from a large study indicate that

patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are at increased risk for

migraine, depression or fibromyalgia, a chronic condition of fatigue, muscle

pain and other symptoms.

Previous research has linked IBS with these disorders, but much of the

supporting data has come from case reports or from small clinical practices,

lead author Dr. J. Cole and colleagues, from Boston University,

note.

Plus, issues related study design, such as the lack of a reference group and

the inability to account for the possible influence of other risk factors,

have prevented researchers from reaching definitive conclusions.

The current study, published in BMC Gastroenterology, involved more than

125,000 subjects and did include a reference group. The subjects were drawn

from a large U.S. health plan and were seen for either IBS or routine

medical care (the non-IBS group).

Compared with non-IBS patients, those with the condition were 60 percent

more likely to also have any one of the three disorders, the report

indicates. The elevated risks for depression, migraine, and fibromyalgia

were 40 percent, 60 percent, and 80 percent, respectively.

The current findings support previous reports, which have promoted

speculation that all four disorders share an underlying biological

mechanism, the authors conclude.

SOURCE: BMC Gastroenterology, September 28, 2006.

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2006/10/06/eline/links/20061006elin031.html

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