Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome A Significant Comorbid Disorder Among Patients With Tension Type Headache?

Abstract

Abstract: Background and aim: Comorbidity between tension type headache TTH and other disorders is a topic of interest. At the present time, no study examine comorbidity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with TTH as separate entity ; presence of such association have great impact in diagnosis and management of TTH patients for which this prospective cross sectional comparative controlled study have been conducted. Methodology: In this Cross Sectional Controlled Comparative Study , 360 patients ;200 female and 160 male ; age ranges from 15-60 years with diagnosis of TTH depending on International Headache Society (IHS) criteria have been enrolled and compared with age and gender matched 200 controlled individuals ; 116 female and 84 male . The prevalence of IBS (diagnosis made depending on symptoms based criteria Rome II and III criteria) among 2 group were estimated with further evaluation of IBS prevalence made in relation to age , gender and type of TTH ; Statistical analysis done by means of person Chi-square tests with P value < 0.05 was used as a level of significance.Results: TTH is more common in woman , with female to male ratios of 1.25:1, TTH affecting age peaks between 20 and 60 years. There was significant high prevalence of IBS among TTH group versus control healthy group (79.7%, 10% respectively; p value was 0.0001 ) with very high significant prevalence among chronic TTH versus episodic TTH (93.3%, 72.9% respectively ; p value was0.000056). The prevalence of IBS among TTH group was more common among female versus male (62.7%, 37.3% , respectively).The age peak affected was among thirties and forties ( 29.6% and 28.6% respectively): the sex and gender differences were not significant statistically . Conclusion: patients with TTH have significant associations with IBS as comorbid disorder, such relationships is important from diagnostic and therapeutic point of view . Strength of this association suggests a common pathophysiologic mechanisms which needs further evaluation in future.