Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Volume 7, Issue 1 , Pages 68-72, January 2009

Prevalence, Characteristics, and Impact of Bloating Symptoms in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

  • Yehuda Ringel

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress requests for reprints to: Yehuda Ringel, MD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 4107 BioInformatics Bldg, CB# 7080, 130 Mason Farm RD, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7080. fax: 919-843-0800
    • ,
  • Rachel E. Williams

      Affiliations

    • Worldwide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Linda Kalilani

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Suzanne F. Cook

      Affiliations

    • Worldwide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Background & Aims

Bloating symptoms are common in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) seen in primary care and gastrointestinal clinics. However, the underlying mechanisms of IBS are poorly understood, and there are few data available about the epidemiology of this syndrome or the impact of its symptoms. We investigated the prevalence, characteristics, and impact of bloating symptoms in patients with IBS.

Methods

IBS patients were identified by Rome II criteria in a U.S. population representative web-based survey. Patients were asked about the quality, frequency, and severity of their gastrointestinal symptoms. The impact of these symptoms was investigated by assessing patients' health-related quality of life, utilization of health care, and use of medications.

Results

Of the 337 IBS patients in this study, 82.5% (n = 278) reported bloating symptoms, the second most bothersome symptom after abdominal cramping. The symptoms were more prevalent in female patients, 87.4% (n = 209), than in male patients, 70.4% (n = 69) (P < .0001), and in patients with constipation, 88.7% (n = 47), and mixed symptoms, 88.8% (n = 135), than in patients with diarrhea, 72.3% (n = 96), (P = .02 and P < .01, respectively). Bloating symptoms were the third (of 14) most important reason to seek medical care, and more than half of the patients reported regular use of anti-gas medications. Bloating symptoms were associated with decreased energy levels (P = .04), food intake (P < .01), and physical functioning (P = .06).

Conclusions

Bloating symptoms are common in patients with IBS, and their prevalence and relative severity differ on the basis of sex and IBS subtype. Bloating symptoms are associated with a decrease in the quality of life and increases in health care utilization and use of medications.

Abbreviations used in this paper: GI, gastrointestinal, IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, IBS-C, constipation-predominant IBS, IBS-D, diarrhea-predominant IBS, IBS-M, IBS with mixed symptoms, QOL, quality of life

 

 The authors disclose the following: Y. R. is supported by K23 grant DK075621. R. E. W. and S. F. C. are employees of GlaxoSmithKline and have equity interest in GlaxoSmithKline. L. K. received an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline to work on this research.

PII: S1542-3565(08)00729-5

doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2008.07.008

Refers to article:

  • Exam 2: The Prevalence, Characteristics and Impact of Bloating Symptoms in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome , 08 December 2008

    Miguel R. Arguedas
    Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology January 2009 (Vol. 7, Issue 1, Page 3)

  • Impact of Bloating and Distention in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Have We Wandered too far From the Manning Creed? , 16 October 2008

    Eamonn M.M. Quigley
    Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology January 2009 (Vol. 7, Issue 1, Pages 7-8)

Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Volume 7, Issue 1 , Pages 68-72, January 2009