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Mortality in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Community-Based Cohort Study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background/Aims: : This prospective cohort study involving participants from the Miyagi part of the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Community-Based Cohort Study investigates the association between irritable bowel syndrome, including not consulted medical care, and all-cause mortality. Methods: : A total of 15354 participants were followed up through 2021. Irritable bowel syndrome was identified using the Rome II modular questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause mortality were estimated using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. Additional analysis was performed according to sex, irritable bowel syndrome subtype, baseline and second period surveys, and health checkup attendance within 1 year. Results: : A total of 2818 participants (18.4%) had irritable bowel syndrome at baseline. During a median follow-up of 6.7 years, 311 participants died. No significant differences in mortality were observed between those with and without irritable bowel syndrome (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.68-1.29). Similar results were observed based on sex, subtype, and irritable bowel syndrome status in both surveys. Participants with irritable bowel syndrome who did not attend a health checkup within the previous year had observed higher mortality (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.06-4.19) compared with those without it who attended a health checkup. The risk of death was not significantly increased in participants with irritable bowel syndrome who attended health checkups. Conclusions: : Irritable bowel syndrome, identified by self-reporting using the Rome II questionnaire, was not associated with all-cause mortality. Nonetheless, results suggest individuals with irritable bowel syndrome who did not undergo health checkups may have had higher overall mortality.

Source: Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility

DOI: 10.5056/jnm25142