Prevalence and Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease–Irritable Bowel Syndrome on Patient-reported Outcomes in CCFA Partners

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with persistent symptoms despite no or minimal inflammation are frequently described as having an overlap of IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBD-IBS). Limited data are available on how IBS impacts the individual patient with IBD. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of IBD-IBS and investigate its impact on patient-reported outcomes. METHOD We performed a cross-sectional analysis within the CCFA Partners Study. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between IBD-IBS and various demographic, disease factors, and patient-reported outcomes including anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, pain interference, and social satisfaction. RESULTS Of the 6309 participants included, a total of 1279 (20%) reported a coexisting IBS diagnosis. The prevalence of IBD-IBS in this cohort was similar within disease subtypes. A diagnosis of IBD-IBS was associated with higher narcotic use compared with those with no IBS diagnosis for both Crohn's disease, 17% versus 11% (P < 0.001) and ulcerative colitis/indeterminate colitis, 9% versus 5% (P < 0.001). Quality of life, as measured by Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ) was lower in patients with IBD-IBS compared with those without. IBD-IBS diagnosis was associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, pain interference, and decreased social satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS In this sample of patients with IBD, high prevalence of concomitant IBS diagnosis was observed. IBD-IBS diagnosis was associated with increased narcotic use and adverse patient-reported outcome. Appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and counseling may help improve the functional status of IBD-IBS patients and decrease narcotic use.