title: Intervention to increase physical activity in irritable bowel syndrome shows long-term positive effects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the long-term effects of physical activity on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and on quality of life, fatigue, depression and anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six patients from a previous randomized controlled interventional study on increased physical activity in IBS were asked to participate in this long-term follow-up study. The included patients attended one visit in which they filled out questionnaires and they underwent a submaximal cycle ergometer test. The primary end point was the change in the IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) at baseline, i.e., before the intervention and at follow-up. The secondary endpoints were changes in quality of life, fatigue, depression and anxiety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 39 [32 women, median age 45 (28-61) years] patients were included in this follow-up. Median follow-up time was 5.2 (range: 3.8-6.2) years. The IBS symptoms were improved compared with baseline [IBS-SSS: 276 (169-360) vs 218 (82-328), P = 0.001]. This was also true for the majority of the dimensions of psychological symptoms such as disease specific quality of life, fatigue, depression and anxiety. The reported time of physical activity during the week before the visit had increased from 3.2 (0.0-10.0) h at baseline to 5.2 (0.0-15.0) h at follow-up, P = 0.019. The most common activities reported were walking, aerobics and cycling. There was no significant difference in the oxygen uptake 31.8 (19.7-45.8) mL per min per kg at baseline vs 34.6 (19.0-54.6) mL/min per kg at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An intervention to increase physical activity has positive long-term effects on IBS symptoms and psychological symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Elisabet Johannesson, Gisela Ringström, Hasse Abrahamsson, Riadh Sadik, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johannesson
authors.affiliation: Elisabet Johannesson, Gisela Ringström, Hasse Abrahamsson, Riadh Sadik, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ringström
authors.affiliation: Elisabet Johannesson, Gisela Ringström, Hasse Abrahamsson, Riadh Sadik, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hasse
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abrahamsson
authors.affiliation: Elisabet Johannesson, Gisela Ringström, Hasse Abrahamsson, Riadh Sadik, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Riadh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sadik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Exercise; Follow-up; Gastrointestinal diseases; Irritable bowel syndrome; Physical activity