Male IBS patients report more social stress

Male patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience more interpersonal difficulties than their female counterparts, a study found.

A disabling and intractable gastrointestinal disorder, IBS is twice as common among women than men.

"Our findings underscore the significance of studying gender-based differences in how people experience the same disease or condition," said Jeffrey Lackner, professor of medicine at the University of Buffalo in the US.

Males report feeling cold and detached and as though they have a need to be dominant in their relationships.

Previous research had suggested that males with IBS take on stereotypically feminine traits, including passive and accommodating behaviour.

"That discrepancy underscores our need to move beyond clinical intuition and anecdotes and systematically study the different ways that each gender experiences the disease in general," Lackner added.

The study was presented during the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Philadelphia.