Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional study
Objective To characterise gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in healthy blood donors and explore symptom phenotypes and their associated factors.Methods Between November 2020 and March 2023, 53 046 participants in the nationwide Danish Blood Donor Study completed a questionnaire including 13...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2025-02-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Gastroenterology |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/12/1/e001518.full |
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| author | Christian Erikstrup Ole Birger Pedersen Henrik Hjalgrim Erik Sørensen Jens Frederik Dahlerup Klaus Rostgaard Mikkel Steen Petersen Sisse Rye Ostrowski Susan Mikkelsen Khoa Manh Dinh Thorsten Brodersen Janna Nissen Anne Karmisholt Grosen Jens Kjærgaard Boldsen Simon Mark Dahl Baunwall Mie Topholm Bruun Bitten Aagaard Christina Mikkelsen Christian Lodberg Hvas |
| author_facet | Christian Erikstrup Ole Birger Pedersen Henrik Hjalgrim Erik Sørensen Jens Frederik Dahlerup Klaus Rostgaard Mikkel Steen Petersen Sisse Rye Ostrowski Susan Mikkelsen Khoa Manh Dinh Thorsten Brodersen Janna Nissen Anne Karmisholt Grosen Jens Kjærgaard Boldsen Simon Mark Dahl Baunwall Mie Topholm Bruun Bitten Aagaard Christina Mikkelsen Christian Lodberg Hvas |
| author_sort | Christian Erikstrup |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective To characterise gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in healthy blood donors and explore symptom phenotypes and their associated factors.Methods Between November 2020 and March 2023, 53 046 participants in the nationwide Danish Blood Donor Study completed a questionnaire including 13 gastrointestinal symptoms, defaecation pattern regularity, stool frequency, and stool consistency. We used a data-driven approach to explore symptom phenotypes and investigated associated factors by multinomial logistic regression.Results Among the 53 046 participants (52% women), 68% (95% CI 67.5% to 68.3%) reported at least one of 13 gastrointestinal symptoms. The most frequent symptoms were bloating (40%), abdominal rumbling (40%), abdominal pain (17%), acid regurgitation (13%), heartburn (12%), diarrhoea (12%), nausea (12%), and constipation (10%). Half of the participants (50%) had a regular defaecation pattern (defined as generally the same stool consistency and stool frequency) consisting of Bristol Stool Form Scale 4 stools 1–3 times per day. Symptom phenotypes and their prevalence among 51 820 near-complete case participants were as follows: (1) no gastrointestinal symptoms (32%); (2) bloating and/or rumbling only (21%); (3) acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only (4%); (4) any other one or two symptoms (14%); (5) any three or four symptoms (18%); (6) any five or six symptoms (7%); (7) at least seven symptoms (3%). The acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only phenotype associated with obesity, and the remaining symptomatic phenotypes were associated with female sex, decreasing age, and an irregular defaecation pattern, even after excluding individuals with self-reported irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, or gluten intolerance.Conclusion Most healthy adults, especially women younger than 50 years, experience gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptom phenotypes strongly correlate with sex, age, and bowel habits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6a63c8ac579f49c98cef23574731d540 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2054-4774 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
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| series | BMJ Open Gastroenterology |
| spelling | doaj-art-6a63c8ac579f49c98cef23574731d5402025-02-09T04:05:14ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Gastroenterology2054-47742025-02-0112110.1136/bmjgast-2024-001518Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional studyChristian Erikstrup0Ole Birger Pedersen1Henrik Hjalgrim2Erik Sørensen3Jens Frederik Dahlerup4Klaus Rostgaard5Mikkel Steen Petersen6Sisse Rye Ostrowski7Susan Mikkelsen8Khoa Manh Dinh9Thorsten Brodersen10Janna Nissen11Anne Karmisholt Grosen12Jens Kjærgaard Boldsen13Simon Mark Dahl Baunwall14Mie Topholm Bruun15Bitten Aagaard16Christina Mikkelsen17Christian Lodberg Hvas18Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, DenmarkDepartment of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DenmarkObjective To characterise gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in healthy blood donors and explore symptom phenotypes and their associated factors.Methods Between November 2020 and March 2023, 53 046 participants in the nationwide Danish Blood Donor Study completed a questionnaire including 13 gastrointestinal symptoms, defaecation pattern regularity, stool frequency, and stool consistency. We used a data-driven approach to explore symptom phenotypes and investigated associated factors by multinomial logistic regression.Results Among the 53 046 participants (52% women), 68% (95% CI 67.5% to 68.3%) reported at least one of 13 gastrointestinal symptoms. The most frequent symptoms were bloating (40%), abdominal rumbling (40%), abdominal pain (17%), acid regurgitation (13%), heartburn (12%), diarrhoea (12%), nausea (12%), and constipation (10%). Half of the participants (50%) had a regular defaecation pattern (defined as generally the same stool consistency and stool frequency) consisting of Bristol Stool Form Scale 4 stools 1–3 times per day. Symptom phenotypes and their prevalence among 51 820 near-complete case participants were as follows: (1) no gastrointestinal symptoms (32%); (2) bloating and/or rumbling only (21%); (3) acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only (4%); (4) any other one or two symptoms (14%); (5) any three or four symptoms (18%); (6) any five or six symptoms (7%); (7) at least seven symptoms (3%). The acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only phenotype associated with obesity, and the remaining symptomatic phenotypes were associated with female sex, decreasing age, and an irregular defaecation pattern, even after excluding individuals with self-reported irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, or gluten intolerance.Conclusion Most healthy adults, especially women younger than 50 years, experience gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptom phenotypes strongly correlate with sex, age, and bowel habits.https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/12/1/e001518.full |
| spellingShingle | Christian Erikstrup Ole Birger Pedersen Henrik Hjalgrim Erik Sørensen Jens Frederik Dahlerup Klaus Rostgaard Mikkel Steen Petersen Sisse Rye Ostrowski Susan Mikkelsen Khoa Manh Dinh Thorsten Brodersen Janna Nissen Anne Karmisholt Grosen Jens Kjærgaard Boldsen Simon Mark Dahl Baunwall Mie Topholm Bruun Bitten Aagaard Christina Mikkelsen Christian Lodberg Hvas Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional study BMJ Open Gastroenterology |
| title | Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors: a nationwide cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy danish blood donors a nationwide cross sectional study |
| url | https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/12/1/e001518.full |
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