Sex-related differences in profiles and clinical outcomes of Inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and idiopathic condition that includes both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The impact of sex on the disease course and the clinical outcomes not fully understood. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aims to explore the differences in the clinical outcomes in IBD. A systematic review and meta-analysis was done by searching in the PubMed /MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases. We used the Random-Effects model to estimate risk ratios (RR) for binary outcomes and mean difference and hedges' g for continuous outcomes. A total of 44 unique studies were included. Our analysis revealed distinct sex differences in various outcomes of IBD. Anxiety was more prevalent in females (RR: 0.73; 95% CI [0.64, 0.82]) and females in the CD subgroup (RR: 0.76; 95% CI [0.62, 0.93]; p = 0.01. While depression was diagnosed more frequently in females (RR: 0.80; 95% CI [0.66, 0.97] in the total population of the study, subgroup analysis showed no sex difference. Additionally, quality of life scores were worse in females in the total population (Hedges' g: 0.24; 95% CI [0.05, 0.42]) with no significant difference in subgroup analyses. A significantly higher mortality risk was estimated in males (RR: 1.26; 95% CI [1.07, 1.48]) and in subgroup analysis for males with UC (RR: 1.48; 95% CI [1.19, 1.84]; p = 0.00) with no significant difference in CD. Regarding disease location, male patients were less likely to present with proctitis (RR: 0.67; 95% CI [0.50, 0.91]) when compared to females. Males had more frequent indications for surgery (RR: 1.10; 95% CI [1.01, 1.20]), however, no significant difference was found in subgroup analyses for CD or UC. Also, males were older at the time of admission (MD: 1.39 years; 95% CI [0.10, 2.68]). No significant sex differences were found in terms of hospitalization rates or disease behavior. In conclusion, our meta-analysis shows that males face higher risks of early mortality and require more IBD surgeries, whereas females experience greater levels of anxiety and depression. These findings emphasize the need to consider sex disparities in IBD management.