Vincent Chi-ho Chung, Ph.D., M.S.
Credit: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care
Recent findings provide new evidence of an association between adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors and a lower risk of subsequently developing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).1
This prospective population-based cohort study leverages data from the UK Biobank to demonstrate the effects of non-smoking, optimal sleep, high levels of vigorous physical activity, quality diet, and moderate alcohol consumption on the incidence of IBS. We investigated the impact and found the following: Adhering to more of these healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with a decreased risk of IBS.1
An estimated 10 to 15 percent of adults in the United States have IBS, but only about 5 to 7 percent seek medical attention and receive a diagnosis. While lifestyle modifications are commonly recommended to treat IBS and reduce symptoms, recent research shows that healthier habits can also help prevent the onset of IBS and reduce the burden of the disease. It has been suggested that it may be helpful.2
“Although the consensus reports provide recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, none recommend preventive measures,” said Dr. Vincent Chi-ho Chung, associate professor at the Jockey Club School of Public Health at Chunghwa University. , writes the M.S. Hong Kong people and their friends.1 “While lifestyle modifications have been recommended as a means of managing IBS symptoms, insufficient attention has been paid to their potential role in preventing the onset of symptoms.”
To assess the association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and the incidence of irritable bowel syndrome, researchers studied 502,492 participants aged 37 to 73 between 2006 and 2010. We used data from the UK Biobank, a large prospective cohort study that collected demographic data. Both health and lifestyle. The study investigated five healthy lifestyle behaviors: non-smoking, optimal sleep, high levels of vigorous physical activity, quality diet, and moderate alcohol consumption. The outcome of interest was the incidence of IBS, defined as code K58 in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10).1
Researchers identified patients who completed less than two 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires, reported unrealistic energy intake, were missing data on lifestyle behaviors or key covariates, or had IBS at baseline. We excluded UK Biobank patients who were prevalent. A total of 64,268 eligible patients were enrolled in the study and followed until 2022.1
The researchers divided participants into groups based on their adherence to the healthy lifestyle behaviors being studied. Of note, the number of individuals with healthy lifestyle behaviors of 3 (n = 11,079), 4 (n = 2767), and 5 (n = 255) was relatively small, so the researchers Pool patients as a single group and sample size for analysis.1
The mean age of the cohort was 55.9 years, and 55% of patients were female. In total, 7,604 (11.8%) participants reported none of the five healthy lifestyle behaviors, while 20,662 (32.1%) reported one behavior and 21,901 (34.1%) reported two behaviors, and 14,101 (21.9%) reported three to five behaviors at baseline. During a mean follow-up of 12.6 years, 961 (1.5%) IBS episodes were recorded.1,3
After adjusting for age, gender, employment status, geographic location, gastrointestinal infections, endometriosis, and family history of IBS, researchers found that adherence to more healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with a lower risk of developing IBS. (all) P <.05). Compared to not performing any of the five healthy lifestyle behaviors, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for adhering to one behavior was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.65-0.96) compared to not performing any of the five healthy lifestyle behaviors. was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.53-0.78). , 0.58 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.72) for behaviors 3 to 5 (P <.001).1,3
Subgroup analyzes by age, gender, employment status, geographic location, family history of gastrointestinal infections, endometriosis, and IBS yielded no significant interactions and therefore no effect modifiers (all P ≧.05).1
When each of the five lifestyle behaviors was analyzed separately, non-smoking (aHR, 0.86; 0.76-0.98; P = .02), high levels of vigorous physical activity (aHR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73-0.95; P =.006) and optimal sleep (aHR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60-0.88; P =.001) showed a significant independent inverse association with the incidence of IBS, although it was smaller in magnitude than adherence to three to five behaviors. The researchers noted that no significant independent association was observed between a healthy diet and moderate alcohol consumption.1,3
The researchers found that the large proportion of participants excluded due to family history of IBS, the potential inaccuracy of self-reported data on lifestyle behaviors, and the lack of consideration for identifying the occurrence of IBS without taking into account the They noted potential limitations to these findings, including the use of ICD-10 codes. III criteria and lack of consideration for changes in healthy lifestyle behaviors during follow-up.1
Still, the researchers expressed confidence in the study's many strengths, saying, “Our findings highlight the value of lifestyle modification in primary prevention of IBS, and that healthy lifestyle choices can prevent IBS.'' “Our results suggest that the influence of etiological factors on the incidence of cancer can be significantly reduced.”
References:
- Ho FF, Sun H, Zheng H et al. Association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome: a large population-based prospective cohort study. intestines. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331254
- cleveland clinic. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). disease and symptoms. November 16, 2023. Accessed February 20, 2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4342-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs
- B.M.J. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is strongly associated with a reduced risk of irritable bowel syndrome. Yurek Alert! February 20, 2024. Accessed February 20, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1034704?
