Does your lifestyle increase your risk of IBS?

Researchers in a recent study published in the journal Gut found a link between healthy lifestyle behaviors and the incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

study: Association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and the development of irritable bowel syndrome: a large population-based prospective cohort study. Image credit: Meeko Media/Shutterstock.com

background

IBS is a functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by recurrent stomach discomfort and irregular bowel movements. Disease management involves a significant economic burden. There is no accepted primary prevention method. However, five modifiable lifestyle variables can change his IBS risk.

Current recommendations do not promote lifestyle modification programs as the primary prevention strategy. Current treatments attempt to alleviate symptoms but are either inconclusive or have side effects.

Patients with IBS frequently report co-occurring psychiatric disorders, increased suicidal ideation, and worsened quality of life. Primary care physicians should be proactive in offering interventions to modify health habits during routine visits.

About research

In this prospective population-based cohort study, researchers found that healthy lifestyle habits, including optimal sleep, smoking cessation, moderate alcohol consumption, high physical activity levels, and a high-quality diet are associated with irritable bowel syndrome. We investigated whether

The research team enrolled 64,268 UK Biobank (UKBB) participants between 2006 and 2010, aged 37 to 73 and without a diagnosis of IBS, and followed them until 2022.

The main research focus included five healthy habits: optimal sleep, smoking cessation, quality diet, moderate alcohol intake, and high physical activity levels. They assessed all lifestyle behaviors using a structured questionnaire on a self-report basis.

The primary endpoint was the incidence of IBS defined using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes.

Study participants completed a touchscreen questionnaire and oral interview regarding demographic, lifestyle, and health information. They also underwent a physical examination and provided samples.

The team included individuals from across the cohort who completed two or more 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires (126,841 individuals, including an assessment of alcohol intake).

They are individuals who record unrealistic caloric intake (less than 800 kcal or more than 5,000 kcal per day for men, less than 500 kcal or more than 4,000 kcal per day for women), We excluded individuals with missing information on lifestyle habits and those diagnosed with IBS at baseline. the study.

The team tracked participants until February 1, 2022. They performed Cox proportional hazards modeling to determine the hazard ratio (HR) for the relationship between healthy habits and IBS incidence.

Study covariates included age, body mass index (BMI), gender, geographic location, employment status, marital status, anxiety, depression, headache, joint and back pain, asthma, osteoporosis, endometriosis, Gastrointestinal infections, familial IBS history, and ectopic pregnancy were included. .

The research team conducted a sensitivity analysis to examine the effects of five lifestyle behaviors on IBS patients.

They excluded people diagnosed based on self-documentation, defined healthy alcohol consumption behaviors differently, and used a less stringent definition of physical activity.

They performed separate analyzes for each lifestyle behavior and adjusted the model for other behaviors, considering healthy participants as those engaging in moderate to extensive physical exercise.

result

Over 13 years of follow-up (on average), the team recorded 961 new-onset IBS cases (2 percent). Compared to people who don’t practice any healthy habits, people who practice 3, 4, or 5 healthy habits are younger, female, married, have a lower BMI, and have less paid employment. More likely to be employed or self-employed. – Employment status, decreased likelihood of having a family history of IBS.

They were also less likely to be anxious, depressed, and suffer from headaches, joint pain, back pain, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma.

Of the 64,268 people (mean age 56 years), 55% (n=35,342) were women, 12% (n=7,604) did not practice healthy habits, and 32% (n=20,662) had one Thirty-four percent (n=21,901 at the start of the study) practiced two habits and 22% (n=14,101) practiced three to five habits.

The multivariate-adjusted HRs associated with 1, 2, 3, or 5 behaviors for IBS onset were 0.8, 0.6, and 0.6, respectively.

Smoking cessation (0.9), optimal sleep (0.7), and high physical activity level (0.8) showed significant and independent inverse associations with IBS risk.

The research team found no statistically significant interactions between these associations and gender, age, occupation, geographic location, gastrointestinal infections, endometriosis, family history of IBS, or lifestyle behaviors. was not observed.

Compared with an unhealthy lifestyle, the adjusted hazard ratios for practicing 1, 2, and 3 to 5 healthy habits were 0.8, 0.6, and 0.6, respectively. Sensitivity analyzes yielded similar results.

conclusion

Overall, the study results suggest that adopting good lifestyle choices such as smoking cessation, getting enough sleep, regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, and drinking alcohol in moderation can minimize the prevalence of IBS. We showed that it is possible.

Study results showed that lifestyle changes may be an effective key strategy for IBS prevention.

However, this study found potential correlations that warrant further investigation. First, the proportion of women improved through a variety of healthy lifestyle activities, likely due to health reasons such as alleviating menopausal symptoms and lowering breast cancer risk.

Second, as the frequency of healthy activities increased, baseline sadness decreased, indicating an inverse association between depressive symptoms and lifestyle choices.