Table 2.
Demographics and Patient Characteristics
| Parameter† | Healthy women | Constipation, normal BET | Constipation abnormal BET | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 64 | 84 | 52 | |
| Age, y | 35 (13) | 42 (17) | 41 (14) | .01 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26 (5) | 25 (5) | 24 (5) | .2 |
| Symptoms | ||||
| < 3 bowel movements/week, n (%) | 0 | 33 (39%) | 22 (42%) | .7 |
| Incomplete evacuation, n (%) | 0 | 62 (74%) | 37 (71%) | .7 |
| Straining, n (%) | 0 | 72 (88%) | 45 (88%) | .7 |
| Hard stool, n (%) | 0 | 58 (69%) | 38 (73%) | .6 |
| Sensation of blockage, n (%) | 0 | 56 (66%) | 36 (69%) | .7 |
| Manual evacuation, n (%) | 0 | 32 (38%) | 24 (46%) | .3 |
| IBS-C, n (%) | 0 | 41 (49%)‡ | 17 (33%) | .04 |
| Functional constipation, n (%) | 0 | 40 (48%)‡ | 35 (67%) | .04 |
| Live births | 0.95 (1.4) | 1.3 (1.3) | 1.25 (1.4) | .2 |
| Vaginal deliveries | 0.65 (1.2) | 0.9 (1.1) | 1 (1.4) | .2 |
| Cesarean section | 0.3 (0.7) | 0.4 (1) | 0.2 (0.6) | .5 |
| Vaginal deliveries requiring pelvic sutures | 0.3 (0.8) | 0.5 (0.9) | 0.6 (0.9) | .04 |
| Traumatic births, n (%) | 1 (2%) | 4 (5%) | 1(2%) | .4 |
| Anal trauma, other than during childbirth, n (%) | 1 (2%) | 4 (5%) | 0(0%) | .08 |
| Pressures, mmHg | ||||
| Anal resting pressure | 85 (26) | 86 (27) | 98 (27) | .06 |
| 10th, 90th percentile | 40, 104 | |||
| Increased, reduced§ | 16, 5 | 25, 5 | 22, 0 | |
| Squeeze increment | 60 (36) | 46 (41) | 48 (37) | .052 |
| 10th, 90th percentile | 16, 104 | |||
| Increased, reduced§ | 5, 6 | 7, 19 | 5, 11 | |
| Rectal pressure – evacuation | 58 (29) | 64 (30) | 48 (25) | .007 |
| 10th, 90th percentile | 26, 98 | |||
| Increased, reduced§ | 6, 6 | 11, 3 | 2, 13 | |
| Anal pressure – evacuation | 62 (20) | 69 (21) | 88 (32) | <.0001 |
| 10th, 90th percentile | 41, 96 | |||
| Increased, reduced§ | 6, 6 | 8, 7 | 17, 2 | |
| Rectoanal gradient – evacuation | −4 (29) | −5 (31) | −40 (38) | <.0001 |
| 10th, 90th percentile | −36, 30 | |||
| Increased, reduced§ | 6, 7 | 12, 10 | 1, 25 | |
| Anal pressure – Valsalva maneuver | 92 (25) | 89 (34) | 105 (35) | .1 |
| 10th, 90th percentile | 61, 121 | |||
| Increased, reduced§ | 6, 6 | 12, 18 | 13, 6 | |
| Number of abnormal rectoanal parameters during evacuation | ||||
| No or one | 58 | 80 | 33 | <.0001 |
| Two or more | 6 | 4 | 19 | <.0001 |
†
Values are Mean (SD) unless stated otherwise.
‡
Three out of 84 constipated women with normal BET had chronic constipation but did not satisfy ROME criteria as they were taking laxatives.
§
Values are number of patients with abnormal pressures relative to 10th-90th percentile values in healthy women.