Endometriosis and IBS Have Different Comorbidities

The differences will help better diagnosis of both diseases.

Key Points

Highlights: 

• Women with endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a high number of comorbidities.
• The spectrum of comorbidities differs between the two diseases.

Importance:

•  An important proportion of women with endometriosis may also have IBS (and vice versa), and the symptoms of endometriosis and IBS may overlap.

What's done here:

• Researchers retrospectively analyzed data from 65,421 women with endometriosis and IBS.

Key results:

• Women with endometriosis and IBS had more comorbidities than controls.
• The organ systems affected by these comorbidities were different in endometriosis and IBS.
• A remarkable proportion of women with endometriosis also had IBS and those with IBS also had endometriosis.

Limitations:

• The severity of endometriosis and subtypes of IBS were not taken into account in this study.
• All women analyzed were from one geographic location and had good access to healthcare services and the results may not be the same for all women.

Lay Summary

Comorbidities of endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are different despite several overlapping symptoms, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Human Reproduction. These comorbidities are usually related to the organ systems that are primarily involved in the index diagnosis.

Although these results support those of previous studies showing a high prevalence of certain comorbidities in women with endometriosis and IBS, it is important to differentiate these comorbidities to ensure that women are given the right diagnosis.

In order to assess whether the comorbidity spectrum between endometriosis and IBS overlap, a team of researchers led by Dr. Triin Laisk of the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, Sweden retrospectively analyzed a nationwide biobank-based cohort data from 65,421 women with endometriosis and IBS.

They found that both women with endometriosis and those with IBS had more comorbidities than controls. The main comorbidities seen in women with endometriosis were related to the genitourinary system. Among these, the most significant ones were uterine leiomyomas, menstrual disorders, and infertility. Comorbidities seen in women with IBS, on the other hand, were related to the digestive and gastrointestinal tract and included lactose intolerance, gastritis and duodenitis, and indigestion.

Women with both endometriosis and IBS had 275 significantly associated comorbidities. An important proportion of women with endometriosis also had IBS and vice versa.

The symptoms of endometriosis and IBS often overlap and include recurrent abdominal pain, cramping, and anxiety resulting in misdiagnosis. Both conditions affect young women and are associated with a number of comorbidities negatively affecting patients’ quality of life.

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35713579/