Genes Linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Discovered

Researchers link DNA variants to increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome in women. Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common gastrointestinal disorder.

DNA variants associated with a higher risk of a doctor's diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in women but not in men, specifically from a region on chromosome 9 previously reported to also influence puberty timing in women (age at first menstruation).

Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common gastrointestinal disorder. More than 10 per cent of the population, women more than men, suffer from recurrent symptoms including abdominal pain, gas, diarrhoea, and constipation.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) causes recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort and a fluctuating disturbance in defecation. IBS is not life threatening.

‘DNA variants that are associated with irritable bowel syndrome, an intestinal disorder discovered.’

Researchers said that the reason behind the cause of the syndrome was largely unknown till date.

"Although we cannot point to individual genes at this early stage, we believe these results are exciting, as they converge with existing data on female preponderance and a role of sex-hormones in IBS," said Mauro D'Amato, Professor at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

For the findings, published in the journal Gastroenterology, the team used genotype data from more than 3,00,000 UK Biobank participants in a genome-wide association study (GWAS).

Quiz on Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Frequent bowel disturbances are a sign of possible cancerous changes; Here's a quiz to help you to brush up your knowledge on irritable bowel disorder.

Further, the team followed up the result in 2,045 patients from IBS expert centres in Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and the US.

The researchers observed associations with constipation-predominant IBS as well as harder stools, again only in women.

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Stomach is the organ where food is mixed, stored and partially digested.

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), disturbs bowel function. The condition leads to repeated episodes of abdominal pain, and usually gives rise to constipation or diarrhoea.