AUTHOR=Huseini Mustafa , Wood G. Craig , Seiler Jamie , Argyropoulos George , Irving Brian A. , Gerhard Glenn S. , Benotti Peter , Still Christopher , Rolston David D. K. 

TITLE=Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Morbid Obesity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 1 - 2014

YEAR=2014

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2014.00049

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2014.00049

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Background:
Several reports have shown an increased prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in obese subjects in community-based studies. To better understand the role of the gastrointestinal tract in obesity, and because there are limited clinic-based studies, we documented the prevalence of upper and lower GI symptoms in morbidly obese individuals in a clinic setting

Objective
The aim of our study was to compare the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in morbidly obese individuals in a weight management clinic with non-obese individuals with similar comorbidities as morbidly obese individuals in an Internal Medicine clinic. 

Methods 
Class II and III obese patients BMI>35 kg/m2 (n = 114) and 182 non-obese patients (BMI <25kg/m2) completed the GI symptoms survey between August 2011 and April 2012 were included in this study. The survey included 24 items pertaining to upper and lower GI symptoms. The participants rated the frequency of symptoms as absent (never, rarely) or present (occasionally, frequently). The symptoms were clustered into five categories: oral symptoms, dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux, abdominal pain, bowel habits. Responses to each symptom cluster were compared between obese group and normal weight groups using logistic regression.

Results
Of the 24 items, 18 had a higher frequency in the obese group (p<0.005 for each). After adjusting f(1)or age and gender, the obese patients were more likely to have upper GI symptoms: any oral symptom (OR = 2.3, p=0.0013), dysphagia (OR 2.9, p=0.0006), and any gastroesophageal reflux (OR 3.8, p<0.0001). Similarly, the obese patients were more likely to have lower GI symptoms: any abdominal pain (OR=1.7, p=0.042) and altered bowel habits (OR=2.8, p<0.0001).

Conclusion
These observations suggest a statistically significant increase in frequency of both upper and lower GI symptoms in morbidly obese patients when compared to non-obese subjects.