Skip to main content
PMC home page
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1984 Feb;25(2):163–167. doi: 10.1136/gut.25.2.163

Prevalence of lactase deficiency in British adults.

A Ferguson, D M MacDonald, W G Brydon
PMCID: PMC1432253  PMID: 6693044

Abstract

The prevalence of lactase deficiency in British adults is unknown. Examination of the distribution of lactase activities in single and multiple biopsies of jejunum indicated that 0.8 U/g wet weight was a suitable cut-off point to separate lactase deficient patients from others. One hundred and fifty white British adults were selected, none of whom had significant intestinal disease and all of whom had normal histopathology of a jejunal biopsy and normal activities of other disaccharidases measured in the biopsy. The prevalence of lactase deficiency in this group was 4.7%. In contrast, 15 of 20 non-white adults were lactase deficient. Lactase deficiency was found in only three of 36 patients investigated because of diarrhoea after gastric surgery, and in 16 of 200 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (8%). As the prevalence of lactase deficiency is no higher in irritable bowel syndrome than in 'normal' individuals, lactase deficiency clearly is not a predisposing factor for irritable bowel syndrome in white British adults although the two conditions may occasionally coexist.

Full text

PDF
166

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barr R. G., Levine M. D., Watkins J. B. Recurrent abdominal pain of childhood due to lactose intolerance. N Engl J Med. 1979 Jun 28;300(26):1449–1452. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197906283002602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bayless T. M., Rothfeld B., Massa C., Wise L., Paige D., Bedine M. S. Lactose and milk intolerance: clinical implications. N Engl J Med. 1975 May 29;292(22):1156–1159. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197505292922205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DAHLQVIST A. METHOD FOR ASSAY OF INTESTINAL DISACCHARIDASES. Anal Biochem. 1964 Jan;7:18–25. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(64)90115-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ferguson A. Diagnosis and treatment of lactose intolerance. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Nov 28;283(6304):1423–1424. doi: 10.1136/bmj.283.6304.1423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fowkes F. G., Ferguson A. Self-diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome and milk intolerance in white and non-white doctors. Scott Med J. 1981 Jan;26(1):41–44. doi: 10.1177/003693308102600110. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gray G. M. Carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Role of the small intestine. N Engl J Med. 1975 Jun 5;292(23):1225–1230. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197506052922308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gudmand-Hoyer E., Jarnum S. Milk intolerance following gastric surgery. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1969;4(2):127–132. doi: 10.3109/00365526909179919. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Newcomer A. D., McGill D. B. Disaccharidase activity in the small intestine: prevalence of lactase deficiency in 100 healthy subjects. Gastroenterology. 1967 Dec;53(6):881–889. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Paton E., Murray E., Watson W. C. Intestinal disaccharidase activity in rosacea. Br Med J. 1966 Feb 19;1(5485):459–460. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5485.459. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pena A. S., Truelove S. C. Hypolactasia and the irritable colon syndrome. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1972;7(5):433–438. doi: 10.3109/00365527209180766. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Simoons F. J., Johnson J. D., Kretchmer N. Perspective on milk-drinking and malabsorption of lactose. Pediatrics. 1977 Jan;59(1):98–108. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Simoons F. J. Primary adult lactose intolerance and the milking habit: a problem in biologic and cultural interrelations. II. A culture historical hypothesis. Am J Dig Dis. 1970 Aug;15(8):695–710. doi: 10.1007/BF02235991. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES