Takeaway
- In patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), risk for asthma is doubled, and the reverse is also true, according to the results of this meta-analysis.
Why this matters
- Clinicians should be alert to the potential for the 2 conditions to co-occur.
Key results
- In people with asthma, the risk for IBS is doubled: pooled OR, 2.0 (95% CI, 1.5-2.8).
- 7 studies (5 case-control, 2 cohort), n=30,569 with asthma and 119,484 unaffected; I2=69.5% (P=.03).
- The reverse is also the case, and asthma risk is elevated with IBS: pooled OR, 2.2 (95% CI, 1.3-3.9).
- 4 studies, n=30,415 with IBS and 124,107 unaffected; I2=81.3% (P=.001).
Study design
- Meta-analysis and review of 10 studies.
- Funding: None disclosed.
Limitations
- Most studies did not classify by disease severity.
References
References