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Accepted manuscript

Association between the metabolic syndrome and the irritable bowel syndrome: A cross-sectional study among a sample of Lebanese adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2025

Myriam Abboud
Affiliation:
College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; [email protected]
Suzan Haidar*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon; Tel: +9611706881; [email protected], [email protected]
Nadine Mahboub
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon; Tel: +9611706881; [email protected], [email protected]
Tracy Mamo
Affiliation:
Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon; Tel: +961 1 786456 ext. 3741, [email protected]; [email protected]
Dimitrios Papandreou
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, CHS, University of Sharjah, UAE; [email protected]
Rana Rizk
Affiliation:
Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon; Tel: +961 1 786456 ext. 3741, [email protected]; [email protected] Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Epidémiologie Clinique, et de Toxicologie (INSPECT-LB), Beirut, Lebanon
*
*Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel: +96113887561
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Abstract

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Evidence of an association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is emerging but is still inconclusive. The current cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the relationship between the two syndromes in a sample of Lebanese adults (n=221; mean age: 43.36 years; 62.9% females), recruited from a large urban university and its neighboring community. MetS was diagnosed based on the International Diabetes Federation criteria, and IBS was assessed using the Birmingham IBS scale. Logistic regression analyses were performed taking MetS and its components as dependent variables, and IBS and its subscales as independent variables. Covariates included sociodemographic, dietary, and lifestyle variables. MetS was positively associated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)-IBS (total scale (Beta=4.59, p=0.029) and VAS-Diarrhea subscale (Beta=4.96, p=0.008). Elevated blood pressure (Beta=5.02, p=0.007), elevated fasting blood sugar (Beta=4.19, p=0.033), and elevated waist circumference (Beta=5.38, p=0.010) were positively associated with VAS- Diarrhea subscale. MetS and IBS were found to be positively associated in a sample of the Lebanese adult population. We suggest that it might be of value to screen for either condition if one of the syndromes exists. Future longitudinal studies are essential to establish a causal relationship between the two syndromes to further understand the commonality related to pathogenesis and explore potential underlying mechanisms.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society