Association Between Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Lower Urinary Tract Symptomatology

Goals: This study aimed to investigate the clinical phenotype of urinary symptoms in patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, the factors associated with this overlap, and the impact of urinary symptoms on their quality of life. Background: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder, affecting up to 3.8% of the population. The overlap with other disorders of the gut-brain interaction, psychiatric disorders, and other somatic disorders is common. Moreover, the association between irritable bowel syndrome and urinary symptoms has been recognized, but the clinical phenotype remains unclear. Study: This cross-sectional study involved patients with irritable bowel syndrome according to Rome IV. Lower urinary tract symptoms were classified using the International Continence Society’s classification. Data on demographics, medical history, medication use, anxiety, depression, and quality of life were collected and analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results: The study included 428 subjects, 86 diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. Patients exhibited a higher prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (60.5%, 95% CI: 50.5-71.9). Multivariate analysis revealed associations between irritable bowel syndrome and lower urinary tract symptoms (OR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.48-4.18, P =0.001), particularly storage urinary symptoms (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.10-3.40, P =0.021). Patients with urinary symptoms reported significantly lower quality of life compared with those without these symptoms (50.8±17.2 vs. 76.7±21.8, P <0.001). Conclusions: Irritable bowel syndrome is associated with lower urinary tract symptoms, contributing to a significant reduction in quality of life. Clinicians should consider referring patients with irritable bowel syndrome and lower urinary tract symptoms to experts in urodynamics to provide targeted management.