Table 1.
Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, comorbidities, and medication of study patients.
| Parameter | Group | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Control (n = 10, ♀ = 2, ♂ = 8) | IBS (n = 20, ♀ = 14, ♂ = 6) | p | |
| Demographic characteristics | |||
| Age (years) | 55.6 ± 3.0 (38–65) | 49.5 ± 3.8 (20–74) | 0.301 |
| Ethnicity | |||
| Caucasian | 10 (100%) | 19 (95%) | 0.719 |
| Mediterranean | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Socioeconomic characteristics | |||
| Living in a partnership (yes/no) | 6/4 | 10/5 (5 missing data) | 0.932 |
| Children (yes/no) | 5/5 | 11/4 (5 missing data) | 0.444 |
| Level of Education | 5 missing data | 0.870 | |
| - University entrance diploma | 6 (60%) | 9 (60%) | |
| - Secondary education certificate | 2 (20%) | 2 (13%) | |
| - Basic school qualification | 2 (20%) | 4 (27%) | |
| - Without school-leaving qualification | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Currently employed (yes/no) | 5/5 | 8/7 (5 missing data) | 0.806 |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Gastrointestinal | 6 (60%) | 13 (68%, 1 missing data) | 0.996 |
| - Reflux esophagitis | 2 (20%) | 2 (11%) | |
| - Diaphragmatic hernia | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Gastritis | 2 (20%) | 4 (21%) | |
| - Duodenal ulcer | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Diverticular disease | 2 (20%) | 3 (16%) | |
| - Hämorrhoids | 0 (0%) | 2 (11%) | |
| Malabsorption | 0 (0%) | 17 (89%, 1 missing data) | <0.001 |
| - Fructose malabsorption | 0 (0%) | 10 (53%) | |
| - Lactose intolerance | 0 (0%) | 4 (21%) | |
| - Histamine intolerance | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Bile acid malabsorption | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Vitamin B12 deficiency | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| IBS-associated | 0 (0%) | 8 (42%, 1 missing data) | 0.048 |
| Abdominal pain syndrome | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Somatoform disorder | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Anxiety disorder | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Dysthymia | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Insomnia | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Migraine | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Chronic pain syndrome | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Fibromyalgia | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Metabolic | 3 (30%) | 12 (63%, 1 missing data) | 0.191 |
| - Hyperuricemia | 1 (10%) | 0 (0%) | |
| - Diabetes mellitus Type 2 | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Fatty liver disease | 0 (0%) | 3 (16%) | |
| - Hypothyroidism | 0 (0%) | 3 (16%) | |
| - Hyperlipoproteinemia | 1 (10%) | 2 (11%) | |
| - Nephrolithiasis | 1 (10%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Cholecystolithiasis | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Pancreas divisum | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Cardiovascular | 3 (30%) | 6 (32%, 1 missing data) | 0.738 |
| - Arterial hypertension | 2 (20%) | 3 (16%) | |
| - Arteriosclerosis | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Past stroke | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Past embolism | 1 (10%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Other | 3 (30%) | 7 (37%, 1 missing data) | 0.966 |
| - Gynecological disorder | 0 (0%) | 2 (11%) | |
| - Benign prostate hyperplasia | 2 (20%) | 0 (0%) | |
| - Degenerative orthopedic condition (e.g., arthrosis, disc etc.) | 1 (10%) | 5 (26%) | |
| Former surgery | 0 (0%) | 8 (42%, 1 missing data) | 0.048 |
| - Cholecystectomy | 0 (0%) | 4 (21%) | |
| - Appendectomy | 0 (0%) | 3 (16%) | |
| - Bowel surgery | 0 (0%) | 2 (11%) | |
| - Hernioplastic | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Hysterectomy | 0 (0%) | 5 (26%) | |
| - Ovarectomy | 0 (0%) | 3 (16%) | |
| - Tonsillectomy | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| Medication | |||
| Medication use | 3 (30%) | 12 (63%, 1 missing data) | 0.191 |
| - Proton pump inhibitors | 2 (20%) | 2 (11%) | |
| - Antihypertensives | 1 (10%) | 4 (21%) | |
| - Vitamin B12 | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Thyroid supplementation | 0 (0%) | 3 (16%) | |
| - Gynecological hormone substitution | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Statins | 0 (0%) | 2 (11%) | |
| - Antidiabetics | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Sleep aids | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Selective serotonine reuptake inhibitors | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Tricyclic antidepressants | 0 (0%) | 2 (11%) | |
| - Neuroleptics | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Budenoside | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Mesalazine | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Prostate medication | 1 (10%) | 0 (0%) | |
| - Laxatives | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Antispasmodics | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
| - Antidiarrheals | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |
Data are presented as mean ± sem, the range is indicated in parentheses; alternatively, data are indicated as total number and percentage values in parentheses. Normality was assessed using the Kolmogorow-Smirnov test. Differences were assessed using χ2-tests, t-tests or the Mann-Whitney-U test depending on the distribution of the data. Significant differences are displayed in bold. IBS, irritable bowel syndrome.