Prevalence of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, autonomic and allergic manifestations in hospitalized patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a case-control study

Lack of Diversity in Research on Females with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes: Recruitment Protocol for a Quantitative Online Survey

BACKGROUND

Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of connective tissue disorders caused by fragile lax collagen. Current EDS research lacks racial and ethnic diversity. The lack of diversity may be associated with the complexities of conducting a large international study on an underdiagnosed condition and a lack of EDS health care providers who diagnose and conduct research outside of the United States and Europe. Social media may be the key to recruiting a large diverse EDS sample. However, studies that have used social media to recruit have not been able to recruit diverse samples.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to discuss challenges, strategies, outcomes, and lessons learned from using social media to recruit a large sample of females with EDS.

METHODS

Recruitment on social media for a cross-sectional survey examining dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse) in females was examined. Inclusion criteria were (1) older than 18 years of age, (2) assigned female at birth, and (3) diagnosed with EDS. Recruitment took place on Facebook and Twitter (now X), from June 1 to June 25, 2019.

RESULTS

A total of 1178 females with EDS were recruited from Facebook (n=1174) and X (n=4). On Facebook, participants were recruited via support groups. A total of 166 EDS support groups were identified, 104 permitted the principal investigator to join, 90 approved posting, and the survey was posted in 54 groups. Among them, 30 of the support groups posted in were globally focused and not tied to any specific country or region, 21 were for people in the United States, and 3 were for people outside of the United States. Recruitment materials were posted on X with the hashtag #EDS. A total of 1599 people accessed the survey and 1178 people were eligible and consented. The average age of participants was 38.6 (SD 11.7) years. Participants were predominantly White (n=1063, 93%) and non-Hispanic (n=1046, 92%). Participants were recruited from 29 countries, with 900 (79%) from the United States and 124 (11%) from Great Britain.

CONCLUSIONS

Our recruitment method was successful at recruiting a large sample. The sample was predominantly White and from North America and Europe. More research needs to be conducted on how to recruit a diverse sample. Areas to investigate may include connecting with more support groups from outside the United States and Europe, researching which platforms are popular in different countries, and translating study materials into different languages. A larger obstacle to recruiting diverse samples may be the lack of health care providers that diagnose EDS outside the United States and Europe, making the pool of potential participants small. There needs to be more health care providers that diagnose and treat EDS in countries that are predominantly made up of people of color as well as research that specifically focuses on these populations.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/53646.

Laryngological Symptomatology in Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Laryngological manifestations of connective tissue diease with hypermobility such as ehlers-danlos syndrome (EDS) are not well defined in the literature. EDS is an inherited, hetrogeneous, connective tissue disorder characterized by joint hypermobility, skin extensibility, and joint dislocations. A case series of 9 patients is presented with varying laryngological complaints. Common comorbities include postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)/laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD). Six patients were singers. Videostroboscopic parameters and treatment courses are described. It may be beneficial to view patients with EDS and laryngological complaints through a holistic lens as many may need interdisciplinary assessment and management. Laryngoscope, 134:894-896, 2024.

Loose ends in the differential diagnosis of IBS-like symptoms

Two thirds of the patients we believed to have IBS in the 1970's have since been possible to diagnose with treatable conditions like bile acid diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, microscopic colitis, celiac disease, disaccharide malabsorption, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or rare genetic variants. Despite advances in diagnostic techniques a substantial proportion of patients continue suffering from IBS-like symptoms that cannot be explained by current knowledge. Although it is likely that further research will reveal small but important subgroups of patients with treatable mechanisms for IBS-like symptoms, we propose that only two large groups remain for being addressed in the clinic: those with connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorders and those with autism spectrum disorders. Patients with connective tissue disorders exhibit identifiable disturbances of gut motor function and possibly increased gut permeability as underlying mechanisms for IBS-like symptoms. Autism spectrum disorders pose a much more difficult problem in the clinic. Disturbances of perception combined with anxiety and excessive worry about signals from the gut can lead to an endless but futile search for something being wrong. The search can involve large numbers of care givers, no one understanding the patient's suffering. Others may try to change their diet to lessen symptoms, only to find that almost all foods may cause worrying perceptions from the gut. Early recognition of autism spectrum disorders is essential for finding better ways to help patients with gastrointestinal and, as is often the case, extraintestinal symptoms.

Gastrointestinal symptoms and nutritional issues in patients with hypermobility disorders: assessment, diagnosis and management

Patients diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobile spectrum disorders are increasingly presenting to secondary and tertiary care centres with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and nutritional issues. Due to the absence of specific guidance, these patients are investigated, diagnosed and managed heterogeneously, resulting in a growing concern that they are at increased risk of iatrogenic harm. This review aims to collate the evidence for the causes of GI symptoms, nutritional issues and associated conditions as well as the burden of polypharmacy in this group of patients. We also describe evidence-based strategies for management, with an emphasis on reducing the risk of iatrogenic harm and improving multidisciplinary team care.