Authors: Rana SV, Mandal AK, Kochhar R, Katyal R, Singh K.

Institution: Department of Superspeciality of Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh 160012, India. svrana25@hotmail.com

Background: Twenty-five patients of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and 25 normal healthy individuals serving as controls, were studied for lactose intolerance.

Methods: Hydrogen breath test was used as an investigation after giving 50 g of oral lactose. Clinically, the patients were classified into 3 types of IBS.

Results: Eleven (44%) out of 25 patients belonged to diarrhoeal type of IBS, 7 (28%) of 25 patients to spastic and rest 7 (28%) of 25 patients had features of both types of symptoms. Lactose hydrogen breath test was abnormal in 9 cases (82%) of 11 diarrhoeal type of IBS which was significantly higher (p < 0.02) than controls. However, the difference of abnormal hydrogen breath test between spastic type of IBS and patients with features of both types was not significant as compared to controls.

Conclusions: These results suggest that patients with diarrhoeal type of IBS have a higher incidence of lactose intolerance as compared to spastic type as well as patients with features of both types.

Study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11963325&query_hl=1

• The Clinical Relevance of Lactose Malabsorption in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Normalization of Lactulose Breath Testing Correlates with Symptom Improvement in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
• The Effect of a Lactose-Restricted Diet in Patients with a Positive Lactose Tolerance Test, Earlier Diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a 5-year Follow-Up Study
• Lactose Intolerance in Different Types of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in North Indians