Abstract

Novel Irritable Bowel Syndrome Subgroups are Reproducible in the Global Adult Population

ClinGastroenterolHepatol. 2024Jun11:S15423565(24)005184.doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2024.05.042. Online ahead of print.

 

Christopher J Black 1Lesley A Houghton 2Robert M West 3Shrikant I Bangdiwala 4Olafur S Palsson 5Ami D Sperber 6Alexander C Ford 7

 
     

Author information

1Leeds Gastroenterology Institute, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK; Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James's, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

2Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James's, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

3Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

4Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

5Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

6Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

7Leeds Gastroenterology Institute, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK; Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James's, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. Electronic address: alexf12399@yahoo.com.

Abstract

irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) based on bowel habit do not consider psychological impact. We validated a classification model in a UK population with confirmed IBS, using latent class analysis, incorporating psychological factors. We applied this model in the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiological Survey (RFGES), assessing impact of IBS on the individual and the healthcare system, as well as examining reproducibility.

Methods: We applied our model to 2195 individuals in the RFGES with Rome IV-defined IBS. As described previously, we identified seven clusters, based on gastrointestinal symptom severity and psychological burden. We assessed demographics, healthcare-seeking, symptom severity, and quality of life in each. We also used the RFGES to derive a new model, examining whether the broader concepts of our original model were replicated, in terms of breakdown and characteristics of identified clusters.

Results: All seven clusters were identified. Those in clusters with highest psychological burden, and particularly cluster 6 with high overall gastrointestinal symptom severity, were more often female, exhibited higher levels of healthcare-seeking, were more likely to have undergone previous abdominal surgeries, and had higher symptom severity and lower quality of life (p<0.001 for trend for all). When deriving a new model, the best solution consisted of 10 clusters, although at least two appeared to be duplicates, and almost all mapped on to the previous clusters.

Conclusions: Even in the community, our original clusters derived from patients with physician-confirmed IBS identified groups of individuals with significantly higher rates of healthcare-seeking and abdominal surgery, more severe symptoms, and impairments in quality of life.

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