Irritable bowel syndrome: Does gender matter? (original) (raw)

Gender differences in irritable bowel syndrome

Gastroenterology, 2002

Of those who seek health care services, including tertiary and ambulatory care for IBS and other functional Abbreviations used in this paper: ANS, autonomic nervous system; GI, gastrointestinal; HPA, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal; HRV, heart rate variability; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome.

World journal of gastroenterology : WJG, 2014

According to epidemiological studies, twice as many women as men are affected by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in western countries, suggesting a role for sex hormones in IBS pathophysiology. Despite growing evidence about the implications of sex hormones in IBS symptom modulation, data on mechanisms by which they influence disease development are sparse. This review aims to determine the state of knowledge about the role of sex hormones in sensorimotor dysfunctions and to address the possible interplay of sex hormones with common risk factors associated with IBS. The scientific bibliography was searched using the following keywords: irritable bowel syndrome, sex, gender, ovarian hormone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, symptoms, pain, sensitivity, motility, permeability, stress, immune system, brain activity, spinal, supraspinal, imaging. Ovarian hormones variations along the menstrual cycle affect sensorimotor gastrointestinal function in both healthy and IBS populations. ...

Irritable bowel syndrome in women: a common health problem

Nursing Clinics of North America, 2004

There are many chronic health conditions that disproportionately affect women as compared with men. These include migraine with aura, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular pain, interstitial cystitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. In addition to being more prevalent in women, these conditions share other commonalities, including an episodic course of exacerbation and remission, reduced quality of life, and suspected triggers of symptom onset. These conditions often coexist in the same woman, making their treatment more challenging. Inpatient and ambulatory care nurses are frequently involved in the counseling and symptom management of women with these chronic health problems. This article focuses on one of these conditions, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and what is currently known about its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Information related to the gender differences is also presented.

American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2001

OBJECTIVE: Women are more likely than men to report irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms as well as chronic visceral and musculoskeletal pain. The study tests the general hypothesis that female IBS patients differ from their male counterparts in symptoms related to the viscera and musculoskeletal system, and that these differences are related to the menstrual cycle.

Sex-based differences in gastrointestinal pain

European Journal of Pain, 2004

Recent interest has focused on sex-related differences in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) physiology and treatment responsiveness to novel pharmacologic therapies. Similar to a variety of other chronic pain conditions and certain affective disorders, IBS is more prevalent amongst women, both in population-based studies as well as in clinic-based surveys. Non-painful gastrointestinal symptoms, constipation and somatic discomfort are more commonly reported by female IBS patients. While perceptual differences to rectosigmoid stimulation are only observed following repeated noxious stimulation of the gut, sex-related differences in certain sympathetic nervous system (SNS) responses to rectosigmoid stimulation are consistently seen. Consistent with experimental findings in animals, current evidence is consistent with a pathophysiological model which emphasizes sex-related differences in autonomic and antinociceptive responses to certain visceral stimuli.

2003

Background & Aims: Women have a higher prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and possible differences in response to treatment, suggesting sex-related differences in underlying pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to determine possible sex-related differences in brain responses to a visceral and a psychological stressor in IBS. Methods: Regional cerebral blood flow measurements using H 2 15 O positron emission tomography were compared across 23 female and 19 male nonconstipated patients with IBS during a visceral stimulus (moderate rectal inflation) and a psychological stimulus (anticipation of a visceral stimulus). Results: In response to the visceral stimulus, women showed greater activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, right anterior cingulate cortex, and left amygdala, whereas men showed greater activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, and dorsal pons/ periaqueductal gray. Similar differences were observed during the anticipation condition. Men also reported higher arousal and lower fatigue. Conclusions: Male and female patients with IBS differ in activation of brain networks concerned with cognitive, autonomic, and antinociceptive responses to delivered and anticipated aversive visceral stimuli.

Gender differences in irritable bowel syndrome: the interpersonal connection

Neurogastroenterology and Motility

While irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects women more than men, the reasons are unclear. Research on the female preponderance of IBS has focused on gender differences in sex-linked biological processes; much less attention has been paid to the role of psychosocial factors. Interpersonal difficulties may be one source of stress that may significantly impact on women with IBS. Because of the importance that women attach to relationships, we suspected they would be more reactive to interpersonal stress. A total of 283 (M age = 41 years, F = 80%), Rome III-diagnosed IBS patients completed a test battery that included the IBS Symptom Severity Scale, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP), interpersonal support evaluation list (social support), Negative Interactions Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory (distress), Beck Depression Inventory, Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory, and IBS-Quality of Life as part of baseline assessment of an NIH trial. Males scored higher o...

The Association Between the Exacerbation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Menstrual Symptoms in Young Taiwanese Women

Gastroenterology Nursing, 2011

W omen have a higher prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than men in Western industrial countries, whereas the gender difference is variable for Asian countries (Dancey, Hutton-Young, Moye, & Devins, 2002). Gender, age, and culture have been recognized as contributing to the diverse illness experiences of IBS sufferers (Chang et al., 2006; Heitkemper & Jarrett, 2008). The daily activities and quality of life of individuals with IBS are negatively influenced by the syndrome's unpredictable symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea (or constipation), and bloating (Whitehead, Burnett, Cook, & Taub, 1996). Specifically, an exacerbation of bowel symptoms during menstruation among IBS sufferers has been consistently observed, including an amplification of bloating, abdominal pain, distention, and a looser stool (Heitkemper et al.,

Irritable bowel syndrome: Does gender matter? (original) (raw)

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