# Subgroups of IBS



## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

Information again from the Co-Cure mailing list:


> quote:[IBS is reported as a comorbid condition with a subset ofME/CFS and FMS patients.]Subgroups of irritable bowel syndrome: a new approach.Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2004 Oct;16(10):991-4.Walter SA, Skagerstrom E, Bodemar G.Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital ofLinkoping, Linkoping, Sweden.OBJECTIVES: The newly revised Rome criteria for the definitionof irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), derived from the consensusof experts in the field, were developed in order to identifysubgroups of IBS patients for research. The criteria have, toour knowledge, never been validated. Both when trying toinclude IBS patients in studies and in clinical practice wefound it difficult to apply the Rome 2 supportive criteria.AIM: To study the variation of stool consistency anddefecatory symptoms in IBS patients prospectively with diarycards and to validate the Rome 2 supportive criteria.METHODS: Sixty IBS patients, included by interview accordingto the Rome 1 criteria, recorded their bowel symptoms on diarycards over 40 days. Four subgroups were found, characterisedby loose-stool-predominant, hard-stool-predominant,alternating stool consistency, and loose stools only. Urgency,straining and feeling of incomplete evacuation occurred in allbut seven individuals, irrespective of subgroup.RESULTS: The Rome 2 criteria could subclassify seven patientsinto diarrhoea-predominant IBS based on stool consistency andabsence of straining and could subclassify no patients intoconstipation-predominant IBS, as urge was present in nearlyall patients. Fifty-three patients could not be classifiedaccording to the Rome 2 criteria, as they had defecatorysymptoms of all kinds.CONCLUSION: As the Rome 2 supportive criteria use the presenceor absence of specific defecatory symptoms as an instrumentfor categorising IBS patients into diarrhoea- and constipation-predominant subgroups, these criteria could not be used forthe majority of IBS patients in this study and should bereconsidered.PMID: 15371922


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