IBS (1 in 5 youths) strongly associated with low vitamin D – Dec 2018

Association of the Vitamin D Level and Quality of School Life in Adolescents with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

J. Clin. Med. 2018, 7(12), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7120500 (registering DOI)
Youngsun Cho 1OrcID, Yoomi Lee 1, Youjin Choi 2 and Sujin Jeong 1,*
1 Department of Pediatrics, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam 13496, Korea
2 Department of Pediatrics, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang 10380, Korea
(This article belongs to the Section Gastroenterology & Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Medicine)

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There is no treatment of choice for irritable bowel syndrome, which affects up to 20% of school-aged children. This cross-sectional study evaluated the difference in the average vitamin D level between subtypes of irritable bowel syndrome, and the relationship between the vitamin D level as well as the severity of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. We included 124 adolescents aged 10–17 years (68 boys, 56 girls; mean age 12.29 ± 1.92 years) from 2014 to 2016. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome were diagnosed by Rome III criteria and classified by clinical manifestation:

• irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (n = 29),
• irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (n = 63), and
• irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and diarrhea (n = 32).

The severity of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and school absence were evaluated. Vitamin D levels were measured by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The chi-square test and analysis of variance were used. The patients’ average vitamin D level was 16.25 ± 6.58 ng/mL. There was a significant negative association of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D level with symptom severity and school absence (p = 0.022 and p < 0.001, respectively). Vitamin D supplementation could be considered as a choice of therapeutic method