# Gender and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Male Connection.



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

FYIJ Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Aug;38(7):558-560. Related Articles, Links Gender and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Male Connection.Miller V, Whitaker K, Morris JA, Whorwell PJ.Department of Gastroenterology, South Manchester University Hospitals, Manchester, UK (V. Miller, Drs. Whitaker, and Whorwell) and the Department of Statistics, South Manchester University Hospitals, Manchester, UK (Dr. Morris).BACKGROUND/GOALS:: Irritable bowel syndrome is more common in women; and this is generally considered to be caused by increased susceptibility. However, the opposite possibility that being male might actually protect from the disorder in some way, has largely been ignored. We have noticed that men with IBS seem to display less masculine and more feminine qualities and it was the purpose of this study to confirm or refute this clinical observation. STUDY:: Seventy consecutive male, secondary care outpatients fulfilling the Rome 1 criteria for irritable bowel syndrome and 70 controls completed a questionnaire to determine male and female-trait scores. In addition, all subjects were assessed using the hospital anxiety depression inventory. RESULTS:: A highly significant reduction in male-trait scores was observed in the irritable bowel syndrome patients compared with controls (-10.5 -15.7,-5.2 P 0.001). There were no differences between the groups with respect to female-trait scores. The prevalence of homosexuality was no different between patients and controls. CONCLUSION:: Men with irritable bowel syndrome exhibit less male characteristics and it remains to be determined whether this is cause or effect. Whatever the explanation, this study adds another dimension to the role of gender in functional gastrointestinal disorders.PMID: 15232357There is another study to by drossman, but it has not been posted yet.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Aug;38(7):546-8. Related Articles, Links Gender and irritable bowel syndrome: the male connection.Halpert A, Drossman D.PMID: 15232355


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## poet (Nov 17, 2003)

Odd. When I mentioned this possibility a couple of years ago on the bb, it raised quite a sqwak of protest. Guess I don't have AZ.tom


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## kschultz (Jul 8, 2004)

I read on a site that it occurs equally in men and women, it's just that women usually feel the pain more than men, and are more likely to seek treatment (not sure if this is because they are in more pain so they seek treatment, or just because they are women ;-)


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

I dunno it seems that Dr. Miller et al are suggesting that males diagnosed with IBS are more nillie than non-IBS males...that this is predictive...the degree of observed nilliness?"Men with irritable bowel syndrome exhibit less male characteristics and it remains to be determined whether this is cause or effect."As an American Male with IBS I would like to take this opportunity to point out that this study was done on British Males, so naturally it hasss no validity whatssso-EVER in the United Sssstatesss!!! MNL(and NL does not stand for nillie)


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