Hypermobility spectrum disorders and irritable bowel syndrome: A nationwide study of 1.6 million adolescents

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The association between hypermobility spectrum disorders/hypermobile type Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (HDS/hEDS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is yet to be clarified. We aimed to assess this association in a national sample of adolescents.

METHODS

A population-based cross-sectional study included 1 627 345 Israeli adolescents (58% male; mean age 17 years) who were medically assessed before compulsory military service during 1998-2020. Diagnoses of HSD/hEDS and IBS were confirmed by board-certified specialists. The prevalence and odds ratios (ORs) for IBS in adolescents with and without HSD/hEDS were computed.

RESULTS

A total of 4686 adolescents (2553 male) with HSD/hEDS were identified, of whom 71 were diagnosed with IBS (prevalence = 1.5%). Of the 1 621 721 adolescents in the control group, 8751 were diagnosed with IBS (prevalence = 0.5%). Unadjusted logistic regression revealed a significant association between HSD/hEDS and IBS (OR = 2.16 [95% confidence interval, CI, 1.90-2.45]), which persisted in multivariable adjusted models (OR = 2.58 [95% CI, 2.02-3.24]), and in several sensitivity analyses. The association was evident in both male and female adolescents with ORs of 2.60 (95% CI, 1.87-3.49), and 2.46 (95% CI, 1.66-3.49), respectively. The association was accentuated in a sensitivity analysis accounting for other medical and psychiatric comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a significant association between HSD/hEDS and IBS in both male and female adolescents. Clinical awareness of the association can promote early diagnosis of IBS and appropriate multidisciplinary treatment. Further research is required to identify the common pathological pathways of the conditions and to develop new IBS treatment strategies for people with HSD/hEDS.

Association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the physical fitness of young-adult cadets: a retrospective case-control study

OBJECTIVES

To determine the association of symptomatic and asymptomatic mild COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV-2 viral load with the physical fitness of army cadets.

DESIGN

A retrospective case-control study.

SETTING

Officers' Training School of the Israel Defense Forces.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included all cadets (age, 20.22±1.17 years) in the combatant (n=597; 514 males, 83 females; 33 infected, all males) and non-combatant (n=611; 238 males, 373 females; 91 infected, 57 females, 34 males) training courses between 1 August 2020 and 28 February 2021. COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in September 2020 (non-combatants) and January 2021(combatants).

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome measures were the aerobic (3000 m race) and anaerobic (combatant/non-combatant-specific) physical fitness mean score differences (MSDs) between the start and end of the respective training courses in infected and non-infected cadets. Secondary outcome measures included aerobic MSD associations with various COVID-19 symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 viral loads.

RESULTS

SARS-CoV-2 infection led to declined non-combatant and combatant aerobic fitness MSD (14.53±47.80 vs -19.19±60.89 s; p<0.001 and -2.72±21.74 vs -23.63±30.92 s; p<0.001), but not anaerobic. The aerobic physical fitness MSD decreased in symptomatic cadets (14.69±44.87 s) and increased in asymptomatic cadets (-3.79±31.07 s), but the difference was statistically insignificant (p=0.07). Symptomatic cadets with fever (24.70±50.95 vs -0.37±33.87 s; p=0.008) and headache (21.85±43.17 vs 1.69±39.54 s; p=0.043) had more positive aerobic physical fitness MSD than asymptomatic cadets. The aerobic fitness decline was negatively associated with viral load assessed by the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (n=61; r = -0.329; p=0.010), envelope (n=56; r = -0.385; p=0.002) and nucleus (n=65; r = -0.340; p=0.010) genes.

CONCLUSIONS

SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a lingering decline in aerobic, but not anaerobic, fitness in symptomatic and asymptomatic young adults, suggesting possible directions for individualised symptom-dependent and severity-dependent rehabilitation plans' optimisation.

Naturalistic sleep monitoring in women suffering from bulimia nervosa

OBJECTIVE

Eating disorders may be associated with alterations in sleep. There is evidence that some bulimia nervosa (BN) patients have sleep abnormalities. No studies of their sleep-wake cycles in a natural environment have as yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an objective and subjective sleep-wake cycle of BN compared to a healthy age-equated control group (CON).

METHOD

Twenty-nine BN female and eighteen CON subjects were recruited. Sleep-wake patterns were monitored using ambulatory monitoring, mini-actigraphs (Min-Act), for 1 week. Each subject completed self-report questionnaires.

RESULTS

The self-reporting questionnaires revealed that BN complained of significantly more sleep disturbances than CON. The ambulatory sleep data revealed significant differences between BN and CON in sleep onset and offset time.

DISCUSSION

BN had sleep onset and sleep offset of 1 hr later, which may be connected to binge-purge patterns during the day. It is suggested that future research should focus on BN after remission.