TY - JOUR
T1 - Gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in 53 046 healthy Danish blood donors
T2 - a nationwide cross-sectional study
AU - Grosen, Anne Karmisholt
AU - Boldsen, Jens Kjærgaard
AU - Mikkelsen, Susan
AU - Mark Dahl Baunwall, Simon
AU - Dahlerup, Jens Frederik
AU - Dinh, Khoa Manh
AU - Topholm Bruun, Mie
AU - Aagaard, Bitten
AU - Mikkelsen, Christina
AU - Nissen, Janna
AU - Brodersen, Thorsten
AU - Petersen, Mikkel Steen
AU - Rostgaard, Klaus
AU - Hjalgrim, Henrik
AU - Sørensen, Erik
AU - Ostrowski, Sisse Rye
AU - Pedersen, Ole Birger
AU - Hvas, Christian Lodberg
AU - Erikstrup, Christian
N1 - © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.
PY - 2025/2/8
Y1 - 2025/2/8
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To characterise gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in healthy blood donors and explore symptom phenotypes and their associated factors.METHODS: Between November 2020 and March 2023, 53 046 participants in the nationwide Danish Blood Donor Study completed a questionnaire including 13 gastrointestinal symptoms, defaecation pattern regularity, stool frequency, and stool consistency. We used a data-driven approach to explore symptom phenotypes and investigated associated factors by multinomial logistic regression.RESULTS: Among the 53 046 participants (52% women), 68% (95% CI 67.5% to 68.3%) reported at least one of 13 gastrointestinal symptoms. The most frequent symptoms were bloating (40%), abdominal rumbling (40%), abdominal pain (17%), acid regurgitation (13%), heartburn (12%), diarrhoea (12%), nausea (12%), and constipation (10%). Half of the participants (50%) had a regular defaecation pattern (defined as generally the same stool consistency and stool frequency) consisting of Bristol Stool Form Scale 4 stools 1-3 times per day. Symptom phenotypes and their prevalence among 51 820 near-complete case participants were as follows: (1) no gastrointestinal symptoms (32%); (2) bloating and/or rumbling only (21%); (3) acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only (4%); (4) any other one or two symptoms (14%); (5) any three or four symptoms (18%); (6) any five or six symptoms (7%); (7) at least seven symptoms (3%). The acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only phenotype associated with obesity, and the remaining symptomatic phenotypes were associated with female sex, decreasing age, and an irregular defaecation pattern, even after excluding individuals with self-reported irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, or gluten intolerance.CONCLUSION: Most healthy adults, especially women younger than 50 years, experience gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptom phenotypes strongly correlate with sex, age, and bowel habits.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To characterise gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel habits in healthy blood donors and explore symptom phenotypes and their associated factors.METHODS: Between November 2020 and March 2023, 53 046 participants in the nationwide Danish Blood Donor Study completed a questionnaire including 13 gastrointestinal symptoms, defaecation pattern regularity, stool frequency, and stool consistency. We used a data-driven approach to explore symptom phenotypes and investigated associated factors by multinomial logistic regression.RESULTS: Among the 53 046 participants (52% women), 68% (95% CI 67.5% to 68.3%) reported at least one of 13 gastrointestinal symptoms. The most frequent symptoms were bloating (40%), abdominal rumbling (40%), abdominal pain (17%), acid regurgitation (13%), heartburn (12%), diarrhoea (12%), nausea (12%), and constipation (10%). Half of the participants (50%) had a regular defaecation pattern (defined as generally the same stool consistency and stool frequency) consisting of Bristol Stool Form Scale 4 stools 1-3 times per day. Symptom phenotypes and their prevalence among 51 820 near-complete case participants were as follows: (1) no gastrointestinal symptoms (32%); (2) bloating and/or rumbling only (21%); (3) acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only (4%); (4) any other one or two symptoms (14%); (5) any three or four symptoms (18%); (6) any five or six symptoms (7%); (7) at least seven symptoms (3%). The acid regurgitation and/or heartburn only phenotype associated with obesity, and the remaining symptomatic phenotypes were associated with female sex, decreasing age, and an irregular defaecation pattern, even after excluding individuals with self-reported irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, or gluten intolerance.CONCLUSION: Most healthy adults, especially women younger than 50 years, experience gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptom phenotypes strongly correlate with sex, age, and bowel habits.
KW - EPIDEMIOLOGY
KW - FUNCTIONAL BOWEL DISORDER
KW - GASTROINTESTINAL FUNCTION
KW - IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85217448165&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjgast-2024-001518
DO - 10.1136/bmjgast-2024-001518
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39922565
SN - 2054-4774
VL - 12
JO - BMJ Open Gastroenterology
JF - BMJ Open Gastroenterology
IS - 1
M1 - e001518
ER -