Table 3.

Clinical characteristics, at baseline and at time of follow‐up, of patients who still fulfilled the Rome III criteria for IBS at follow‐up (Rome III‐positive) and patients who did not (Rome III‐negative)

FU Rome III‐positive IBS patients, N = 112	Baseline	Follow‐up
BMI, median kg m−2 (IQR)	23.70 (21.45‐28.70)	24.77 (21.92‐28.60)**
GSRS, median (IQR)
Abdominal pain	3.67 (2.33‐4.00)	3.33 (2.50‐4.33)
Reflux syndrome	1.50 (1.00‐2.75)	1.50 (1.00‐3.00)
Diarrhea syndrome	3.00 (2.33‐4.67)	3.33 (1.83‐4.67)
Constipation syndrome	3.00 (2.33‐4.00)	3.00 (2.00‐4.00)
Indigestion syndrome	4.00 (3.38‐5.00)	3.75 (3.00‐4.50)
HADS, score > 8, N (%)
Depressive symptoms	20 (19.05)	25 (23.81)
General anxiety symptoms	41 (39.05)	31 (29.52)
Quality of life, median (IQR)
PCS	42.19 (34.36‐48.90)	45.41 (33.44‐48.78)
MCS	49.58 (37.87‐54.96)	51.07 (37.57‐55.93)

FU Rome III‐negative IBS patients, N = 49	Baseline	Follow‐up
BMI, median kg m−2 (IQR)	24.50 (21.30‐28.08)	25.35 (21.68‐28.73)
GSRS, median (IQR)
Abdominal pain	2.83 (2.00‐3.67)	2.33 (1.33‐3.00)*
Reflux syndrome	1.00 (1.00‐2.88)	1.50 (1.00‐3.00)
Diarrhea syndrome	2.83 (1.67‐4.25)	1.67 (1.08‐3.00)**
Constipation syndrome	2.50 (2.00‐3.67)	2.00 (1.33‐3.00)***
Indigestion syndrome	3.88 (2.75‐5.00)	2.88 (2.25‐3.94)***
HADS, score > 8, N (%)
Depressive symptoms	6 (13.64)	7 (15.91)
General anxiety symptoms	17 (38.64)	7 (15.91)∞
Quality of life, median (IQR)
PCS	45.51 (36.32‐51.74)	48.85 (33.14‐52.99)
MCS	50.68 (41.38‐57.44)	53.38 (43.89‐57.30)

Numbers may not add up to total due to missing. Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (kg m⁻²); GSRS, gastrointestinal symptom rating scale; HADS, hospital anxiety and depression scale; IBS, Irritable bowel syndrome; IQR, interquartile Range; MCS, mental quality of life composite summary as assessed by SF‐36. N, number of patients included in the analysis; PCS, physical quality of life composite summary as assessed by SF‐36.

^*** P < 0.001 vs baseline;

^** P < 0.005 vs baseline;

^* P < 0.01 vs baseline;

^∞ P < 0.05 vs baseline.