COVID stay-at-home orders tied to IBS symptom improvement

Reuters Health - 26/05/2021 - During the long pandemic lockdown in Argentina, patients' irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms unexpectedly improved, a finding that reaffirms the gut-brain connection in functional GI disorders, the researchers say.

"We thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would worsen IBS patients' symptoms but, surprisingly, they were feeling better. IBS is very complex in its genesis and many factors are involved," Dr. Juan Pablo Stefanolo of Buenos Aires University told Reuters Health by email.

"We think that the mandatory lockdown imposed in Argentina, one of the longest in the world (almost 9 months), made patients stay at home in a more relaxed and secure environment and eating less processed foods. These are two of the main factors proposed in the genesis and flare of IBS symptoms," said Dr. Stefanolo, who presented the study during Digestive Disease Week (DDW).

The findings are based on 129 patients with IBS who provided prepandemic data on IBS symptoms and severity as part of an earlier research project. The patients were reassessed during the lockdown.

During the lockdown the number of patients experiencing severe IBS fell from 65 to 39 and the mean IBS Severity Scale score for the group also fell 66 points, from 278 to 212, on a 500-point scale.

In addition, IBS symptoms of pain, distention, stool consistency, anxiety, somatization, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue symptoms all improved during the lockdown.

"Our results reinforce the concept that IBS, or functional gastrointestinal disorders, have a connection to psychosocial factors, as well as food and other factors," Dr. Stefanolo said in a conference news release.

He told Reuters Health that although the study has limitations in methodology precluding firm conclusions or advice, "we showed that probably by controlling two of the main factors in IBS symptoms flaring (patients) may feel better. Trying to manage daily stress burden by specific interventions, such as mindfulness or maybe bringing your homemade meal to work, could be useful to avoid triggers and for dealing with IBS symptoms."

SOURCE: https://bit.ly/3w8NrGd Digestive Disease Week 2021, held May 21-23, 2021.

By Megan Brooks



Posted on 26 May 20218 April 2024