title: Increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in patients with gastroesophageal reflux.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in subjects with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) compared with non-GERD controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred subjects were identified from a list of Cedars-Sinai Medical Foundation patients and gastroenterology motility practice subjects with and without a potential diagnosis of GERD. All subjects were then evaluated independently by two blinded physicians who were asked to identify subjects with GERD based on taking a history (gold standard). A follow-up questionnaire was later mailed to patients. This questionnaire included Rome I criteria for IBS. The prevalence of IBS was compared between GERD and non-GERD subjects. Finally, to further strengthen the method, a retrospective review of all subjects' charts was conducted to identify patients who had had 24-hour pH tests, and the prevalence of IBS was determined in this subgroup.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 200 subjects, 90 (45%) patients returned the questionnaire. After excluding subjects with IBD and incomplete questionnaires, there were 84 subjects (35 with GERD) included in the analysis. Of the 35 GERD subjects, 25 (71%) were Rome I criteria positive for IBS, whereas only 17 of the 49 (35%) non-GERD subjects had IBS (odds ratio = 54.7, CI = 1.7-13.5, p < 0.01). In 11 of the GERD subjects a 24-hour pH study was available and confirmed GERD. Of these 11 subjects, 7 (64%) met Rome I criteria for IBS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a higher prevalence of IBS in subjects with GERD compared with subjects without GERD.
authors.affiliation: GI Motility Program, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, CSMC Burns & Allen Research Institute, Los Angeles, California 90048, USA. mark.pimentel@cshs.org
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Evelyn J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ofman
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fullerton
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hassard
authors.forename: Henry C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000502:physiology; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index