Postmenopausal women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have more severe symptoms than premenopausal women with IBS.

Publisher: Blackwell Scientific Publications Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9432572 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1365-2982 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13501925 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Neurogastroenterol Motil Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Osney Mead, Oxford, UK : Blackwell Scientific Publications, c1994-

Severity of Illness Index* ; Surveys and Questionnaires*; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/*diagnosis ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/*physiopathology ; Postmenopause/*physiology ; Premenopause/*physiology; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/psychology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postmenopause/psychology ; Premenopause/psychology ; Quality of Life/psychology

Background: Although irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is more common in women, little is known about the role of hormonal changes and menopause in IBS. This study aimed to evaluate for differences in gastrointestinal (GI) and psychological symptoms between pre- and postmenopausal women with IBS compared to age-matched men with IBS.
Methods: Patients with Rome-positive IBS were identified. Premenopausal women were <45 years of age with regular menses. Postmenopausal women were ≥45 years without menses for at least 1 year. Younger men were <45 years, and older men were ≥45 years. Questionnaires measured severity of IBS symptoms, somatic symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and psychological symptoms. Multivariable linear or logistic regressions evaluating relationships between age and sex were performed.
Key Results: 190 premenopausal women (mean age 30.25 years), 52 postmenopausal women (mean age 54.38 years), 190 men <45 years (mean age 30.45 years), and 52 men ≥45 years (mean age 53.37 years) were included. Postmenopausal IBS women had greater severity of IBS symptoms (P = .003) and worse physical HRQOL (P = .048) compared to premenopausal women. No differences were observed between age-matched older and younger IBS men. Constipation increased with age for both sexes but was the principal IBS subtype in women only.
Conclusions and Inferences: Postmenopausal women with IBS have more severe IBS symptoms than premenopausal women, while no comparable age-related changes were seen in IBS men. The modulatory effect of female sex hormones on brain-gut interactions which affect visceral perception and GI function likely contributes to these findings.
(© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Nurs Res. 1996 Jul-Aug;45(4):218-24. (PMID: 8700655)
Behav Brain Sci. 1997 Sep;20(3):371-80; discussion 435-513. (PMID: 10097000)
J Surg Oncol. 1997 Jan;64(1):3-11. (PMID: 9040793)
Pain. 1996 May-Jun;65(2-3):123-67. (PMID: 8826503)
Eur J Intern Med. 2006 Dec;17(8):567-71. (PMID: 17142176)
J Psychosom Res. 2002 Feb;52(2):69-77. (PMID: 11832252)
Psychosom Med. 2002 Mar-Apr;64(2):258-66. (PMID: 11914441)
Gastroenterology. 2006 Apr;130(5):1435-46. (PMID: 16678557)
Gastroenterology. 1997 Jun;112(6):2120-37. (PMID: 9178709)
J Neurosci Res. 2017 Jun;95(6):1271-1281. (PMID: 27452349)
J Pain. 2018 Apr;19(4):410-417. (PMID: 29248511)
Am J Physiol. 1995 Jan;268(1 Pt 1):G171-6. (PMID: 7840200)
Med Care. 1996 Mar;34(3):220-33. (PMID: 8628042)
Am J Gastroenterol. 2003 Feb;98(2):420-30. (PMID: 12591063)
J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 2001 Oct;10(8):785-95. (PMID: 11703891)
Gastroenterol Nurs. 2006 Jan-Feb;29(1):4-11. (PMID: 16552294)
Gend Med. 2009;6 Suppl 2:152-67. (PMID: 19406367)
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2019 Jan;44(1):129-139. (PMID: 30022063)
Gut. 2002 Apr;50(4):471-4. (PMID: 11889064)
Dig Dis Sci. 2009 Jul;54(7):1542-9. (PMID: 18979200)
Gastroenterology. 1990 Jun;98(6):1485-9. (PMID: 2338190)
Gut. 1999 Sep;45 Suppl 2:II43-7. (PMID: 10457044)
Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2003 Apr;42(1):33-84. (PMID: 12668290)
Gastroenterology. 1991 Mar;100(3):834-7. (PMID: 1993508)
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Jul;10(7):712-721.e4. (PMID: 22426087)
Dig Dis Sci. 1994 Dec;39(12):2607-11. (PMID: 7995186)
Gut. 2000 Feb;46(2):212-7. (PMID: 10644315)
Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2018 Jul;1864(7):2472-2480. (PMID: 29653184)
Am J Gastroenterol. 2001 Jul;96(7):2184-93. (PMID: 11467651)
Cancer Res. 2001 Jan 15;61(2):632-40. (PMID: 11212261)
J Neurosci. 2003 May 1;23(9):3908-15. (PMID: 12736360)
Neuroscience. 1990;35(2):249-64. (PMID: 2116602)
Am J Gastroenterol. 2012 Jul;107(7):991-1000. (PMID: 22613905)
Curr Opin Neurol. 2014 Jun;27(3):315-24. (PMID: 24792340)
Women Health. 1998;27(4):55-66. (PMID: 9796084)
Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983 Jun;67(6):361-70. (PMID: 6880820)
Gut. 1989 May;30(5):605-8. (PMID: 2731752)
Am J Gastroenterol. 1999 Oct;94(10):2929-35. (PMID: 10520847)
Dig Dis Sci. 2017 Jun;62(6):1550-1560. (PMID: 28374085)
Am J Epidemiol. 1995 Jul 1;142(1):76-83. (PMID: 7785677)
Ann Intern Med. 1989 Oct 15;111(8):671-4. (PMID: 2679285)
Gastroenterology. 2005 Mar;128(3):667-75. (PMID: 15765402)
Am J Gastroenterol. 2008 Oct;103(10):2536-43. (PMID: 18637089)
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Nov;17(12):2471-2478.e3. (PMID: 31419572)
Brain Res. 1997 Nov 7;774(1-2):234-8. (PMID: 9452216)
Gastroenterology. 2006 Apr;130(5):1480-91. (PMID: 16678561)
J Oral Sci. 2020 Mar 28;62(2):150-155. (PMID: 32132330)
Dig Dis Sci. 1995 Jul;40(7):1511-9. (PMID: 7628275)
Gastroenterol Nurs. 2018 May/Jun;41(3):223-232. (PMID: 29847397)
Scand J Gastroenterol. 1999 Aug;34(8):772-6. (PMID: 10499477)
J Gend Specif Med. 2002 May-Jun;5(3):37-45. (PMID: 12078061)
Cell Tissue Res. 2018 Jul;373(1):221-232. (PMID: 28687925)
Am J Physiol. 1978 Oct;235(4):E422-8. (PMID: 696863)
Scand J Gastroenterol. 2001 May;36(5):545-52. (PMID: 11346211)
Gut. 1998 May;42(5):690-5. (PMID: 9659166)
Gastroenterology. 1981 Jun;80(6):1497-500. (PMID: 7227774)
Gastroenterology. 1989 Jan;96(1):11-7. (PMID: 2909416)
Gastroenterology. 2006 Apr;130(5):1377-90. (PMID: 16678553)
Gastroenterology. 2016 Feb 19;:. (PMID: 27144617)
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005 Aug;3(8):717-25. (PMID: 16233998)
Br J Anaesth. 2000 Dec;85(6):907-10. (PMID: 11732530)
Am J Gastroenterol. 1989 Feb;84(2):123-6. (PMID: 2916519)
Gastroenterology. 2016 Feb 18;:. (PMID: 27144627)
Brain Res Bull. 1992 Mar;28(3):447-54. (PMID: 1591601)
J Comp Neurol. 1985 Dec 1;242(1):56-92. (PMID: 2416786)
Eur J Pharmacol. 2000 Sep 29;405(1-3):397-406. (PMID: 11033344)

R01 AT007137 United States AT NCCIH NIH HHS; R01 DK048351 United States DK NIDDK NIH HHS; P30 DK041301 United States DK NIDDK NIH HHS; P50 DK064539 United States DK NIDDK NIH HHS; U54 DK123755 United States DK NIDDK NIH HHS

Keywords: estrogens; irritable bowel syndrome; menopause; menstrual cycle; progesterone; sex characteristics

Date Created: 20200530 Date Completed: 20210811 Latest Revision: 20231104

20250114

PMC7529855

10.1111/nmo.13913

32469130