A prospective comparison of UK and Malaysian patients with irritable bowel syndrome in secondary care

Chuah KH; Black CJ; Tee V; Lim SZ; Hian WX; Sahran NF; Lee YY; Mahadeva S; Ford AC

doi:10.1111/apt.17567

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A prospective comparison of UK and Malaysian patients with irritable bowel syndrome in secondary care

Chuah KH ¹ , Black CJ ² , Tee V ³ , Lim SZ ¹ , Hian WX ¹ , Sahran NF ³ Show all authors , Lee YY ³ , Mahadeva S ¹ , Ford AC ²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
² Leeds Gastroenterology Institute, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
³ School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Malaysia

Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2023 Jul;58(2):168-174.

PMID: 37259882 DOI: 10.1111/apt.17567

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is now known to be similar in various geographical regions, but there has been no study directly comparing characteristics of patients with IBS between populations.

AIMS: To evaluate clinical and psychological differences between adults with IBS seen in secondary care in the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia.

METHODS: Age- and sex-matched patients with IBS from a single centre in the UK (Leeds) and two centres in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu), who fulfilled Rome III criteria, were recruited prospectively. Demographic characteristics and gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms were compared between both groups.

RESULTS: A total of 266 (133 UK and 133 Malaysian) age- and sex-matched patients with Rome III IBS were recruited (mean age: 45.1 years Malaysia, vs. 46.5 years UK; 57.9% female). UK patients were more likely to consume alcohol than Malaysian patients (54.1% vs. 10.5%, p

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.