Health
IBS linked to other ills
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 16, 2006
Patients who develop irritable bowel syndrome are also prone to migraines, depression and chronic pain, according to a study published last month in BMC Gastroenterology.
Boston University researchers analyzed six years of a large health plan's claims data, from 1996 to 2002. The characteristics of the 97,593 patients with an ICD-9 code for irritable bowel syndrome were compared with 27,402 people without this disorder. Those with IBS were 40% more likely to be depressed, 60% more likely to experience migraines and 80% more likely to have fibromyalgia.
The authors of this paper suggest that this research confirms an association previously suggested by much smaller studies and may be useful for predicting the use of health services.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/10/16/hlbf1016.htm.