HospiMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News AI Critical Care Surgical Techniques Patient Care Health IT Point of Care Business Focus

Many IBS Patients Suffer from Vitamin D Deficiency

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 04 Jan 2016
Print article
The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) population exhibits significant levels of vitamin D insufficiency and would benefit from screening, suggests a new pilot study.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield (United Kingdom) and Cultech (Port Talbot, United Kingdom) conducted a randomized, double blinded, three-arm parallel design study of vitamin D, placebo, or a combination of vitamin D and probiotics in 51 IBS patients. Study participants were further stratified according to whether they were vitamin D replete or insufficient, as determined by a blood test at baseline and exit. IBS symptoms were assessed by validated questionnaire, and dietary intakes were assessed by food frequency questionnaire.

The results showed that 82% of the IBS cohort in the study was vitamin D deficient, to such a degree that repletion levels could not be adequately recruited. The researchers also found a significant association in the baseline data between circulating vitamin D level and quality of life. Subsequent Vitamin D supplementation succeeded in significantly improving vitamin D level, although the IBS symptoms themselves were not significantly improved during the pilot study. The study was published on December 21, 2015, in BMJ Open Gastroenterology.

“IBS is a poorly understood condition which impacts severely on the quality of life of sufferers. Our work has shown that most IBS sufferers in our trial had insufficient levels of vitamin D,” said lead author Bernard Corfe, PhD, of the University of Sheffield molecular gastroenterology research group. “Furthermore there was an association between vitamin D status and the sufferer's perceived quality of life, measured by the extent to which they reported impact on IBS on life.”

IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause. In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements. Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.

Related Links:

University of Sheffield
Cultech


Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
CT Phantom
CIRS Model 610 AAPM CT Performance Phantom

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The multi-sensing device can be implanted into blood vessels to help physicians deliver timely treatment (Photo courtesy of IIT)

Miniaturized Implantable Multi-Sensors Device to Monitor Vessels Health

Researchers have embarked on a project to develop a multi-sensing device that can be implanted into blood vessels like peripheral veins or arteries to monitor a range of bodily parameters and overall health status.... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable, handheld BeamClean technology inactivates pathogens on commonly touched surfaces in seconds (Photo courtesy of Freestyle Partners)

First-Of-Its-Kind Portable Germicidal Light Technology Disinfects High-Touch Clinical Surfaces in Seconds

Reducing healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a pressing issue within global healthcare systems. In the United States alone, 1.7 million patients contract HAIs annually, leading to approximately... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The Quantra Hemostasis System has received US FDA special 510(k) clearance for use with its Quantra QStat Cartridge (Photo courtesy of HemoSonics)

Critical Bleeding Management System to Help Hospitals Further Standardize Viscoelastic Testing

Surgical procedures are often accompanied by significant blood loss and the subsequent high likelihood of the need for allogeneic blood transfusions. These transfusions, while critical, are linked to various... Read more