Subtypes and Severity of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Are Not Related to Patients' Self-Reported Dietary Triggers: Results From an Online Survey in Dutch Adults

Abstract

Background: Diet plays an important role in symptom management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, current diet therapies are not optimal nor successful for everyone.

Objective: To investigate whether subgroups based on IBS subtypes or severity identify different self-reported dietary triggers, and whether these are associated with severity and psychological factors.

Design: Online cross-sectional survey PARTICIPANTS: Patients with IBS (n = 1601) who fulfilled the Rome IV criteria or had an IBS diagnosis.

Main outcomes: Self-reported response to 44 preselected dietary triggers, IBS quality of life, and anxiety and depression. Subgroups were based on subtypes or severity.

Statistical analysis: Response to dietary triggers was analyzed using multiple correspondence analysis. Moreover, a food score was calculated to quantify the number and severity of responses to dietary triggers.

Results: Response to greasy foods, onions, cabbage, and spicy and fried foods were mentioned most often (ranging between 55% and 65%). Response to dietary triggers differed between subtypes and severity groups, but absolute differences were small. Multiple correspondence analysis did not reveal clustering between dietary triggers, and ellipses for the subtypes overlapped. Some clustering was seen when ellipses were drawn for severity, which indicates that severity explained a fraction of the variation in response to dietary triggers, and subtypes did not. The food score was not significantly different between subtypes but was significantly higher with higher levels of severity (mild = 20.9 ± 17, moderate = 29.2 ± 19, severe = 37.9 ± 20, P < .001), having depressive (no = 31.4 ± 20, yes = 37.4 ± 20, P < .001) or anxious symptoms (no = 30.7 ± 20, yes = 35.2 ± 20, P < .001), and lower quality of life (lower quality of life = 38.5 ± 19, higher quality of life = 26.5 ± 19, P < .001).

Conclusion: Patients with different IBS subtypes or IBS severity do not identify different self-reported dietary triggers. Patients with more severe IBS and who experience anxiety or depression tend to have severe responses to more dietary triggers. IBS severity seems a better classifier than Rome IV criteria regarding diet. Dietary treatment needs to be individualized under guidance of a dietitian.

Keywords: Diet; Functional bowel disorder; Psychologic factors; Subgroups; Treatment.