Bidirectional Association between Asthma and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Two Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Studies

Background There is a demonstrated association between asthma and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In this study, we examined the bidirectional association between asthma and IBS using a nationwide database. Methods We conducted two retrospective cohort studies using data obtained from the National Health Insurance of Taiwan. Study 1 included 29,648 asthma patients newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2010. Study 2 included 29,875 IBS patient newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2010. For each study, four subjects without asthma and IBS were selected, respectively, frequency-matched by sex, age, and the diagnosis date. All four cohorts were followed up until the end of 2011 to estimate incident IBS for Study 1 and incident asthma for study 2. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model after controlling for sex, age and comorbidities. Results The incidence of IBS was 1.89 times higher in the asthma cohort than in the comparison cohort (8.26 vs. 4.36 per 1,000 person-years), with an aHR of 1.57 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.47-1.68]. The aHRs remained significant in all subgroups measured by sex, age and the presence of comorbidities. In contrast, the incidence of asthma was 1.76 times higher in the IBS cohort than the comparison cohort (7.09 vs. 4.03 per 1,000 person-years), with an aHR of 1.54 (95% CI = 1.44 -1.64). Similarly, aHRs remained significant in all subgroups measured by sex, age and the presence of comorbidities. Conclusion The present study suggests a bidirectional association between asthma and IBS. Atopy could be a shared pathophysiology underlying this association, deserving a further investigation.