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Background: The Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study (RFGES) found that 40.3% of adults in 26 internet-surveyed countries met Rome IV criteria for disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). However, additional people not meeting DGBI criteria may also be burdened by frequent gastrointestinal symptoms., Aims: To explore the prevalence and demographic distribution of sub-diagnostic gastrointestinal symptoms, and the hypothesised associated effects on quality of life (QoL), life functioning and healthcare needs., Methods: We analysed data from the RFGES survey, which included the Rome IV diagnostic questionnaire and QoL, psychological, work productivity and healthcare questions., Results: Of the 50,033 people without a history of organic gastrointestinal disorders, 25.3% classified in the sub-diagnostic group (no DGBI but one or more frequent gastrointestinal symptoms), 41.4% had DGBI and 33.4% had no frequent gastrointestinal symptoms (non-GI group). Sub-diagnostic prevalence in different world regions ranged from 22.2% (North America) to 30.5% (Middle East), was slightly higher among males than females and decreased with age. The sub-diagnostic group was intermediate between the non-GI and DGBI groups, and significantly different from both of them on QoL, anxiety, depression, somatisation, healthcare utilisation and life and work impairment., Conclusions: One in four adults without organic gastrointestinal disorders or DGBI report frequent gastrointestinal symptoms. This sub-diagnostic group has reduced QoL, greater psychological and non-GI bodily symptoms, impaired work productivity and life activities and greater healthcare use compared to non-GI individuals. This suggests that many in this sub-diagnostic group might benefit from healthcare services or symptom self-management advice., (© 2024 The Authors. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study evaluated the association between dietary patterns, Gas-Related Symptoms (GRS) and their impact on quality of life (QoL) in a representative sample (n=936) of the French adult population. During the 2018-2019 "Comportements et Consommations Alimentaires en France" (CCAF) survey (Behaviors and Food Consumption in France), online evaluation of GRS in adult participants was performed using the validated Intestinal Gas Questionnaire (IGQ), which captures the perception of GRS and their impact on QoL via 6 symptom dimensions scores (range 0-100; 100=worse) and a global score (mean of the sum of the 6 symptom dimensions scores). Socio-demographics, lifestyle parameters and dietary habits (7-day e-food diary) were also collected online. Quality of diet was determined using the NRF9.3 score (range 0-900; 900=best). Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify factors associated with IGQ global score. K-means was used to identify clusters of subjects based on their dietary records. Data from 936 adults who completed both the IGQ and the food diary showed a mean (SD) IGQ global score of 11.9 (11.2). Younger age and female gender were associated with a higher IGQ global score. Only 7% of subjects reported no symptom at all and nearly 30% of study participants reported a high impact of GRS on their QoL. Two dietary clusters were identified: cluster1, characterized by a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, lower sugars intake and higher NRF9.3 score and cluster 2, characterized by higher intake of sugars, lower intake in dietary fibers and lower NRF9.3 score. The IGQ global score was lower in cluster1 and higher in cluster2 vs. the total sample average (p<0.001). Prevalence of GRS in the French adult population is high and is associated with impaired QoL and dietary patterns. A change in food habits towards healthier patterns could help reducing the burden of GRS.

Meta-analyses suggest that yogurt consumption reduces type 2 diabetes incidence in humans, but the molecular basis of these observations remains unknown. Here we show that dietary yogurt intake preserves whole-body glucose homeostasis and prevents hepatic insulin resistance and liver steatosis in a dietary mouse model of obesity-linked type 2 diabetes. Fecal microbiota transplantation studies reveal that these effects are partly linked to the gut microbiota. We further show that yogurt intake impacts the hepatic metabolome, notably maintaining the levels of branched chain hydroxy acids (BCHA) which correlate with improved metabolic parameters. These metabolites are generated upon milk fermentation and concentrated in yogurt. Remarkably, diet-induced obesity reduces plasma and tissue BCHA levels, and this is partly prevented by dietary yogurt intake. We further show that BCHA improve insulin action on glucose metabolism in liver and muscle cells, identifying BCHA as cell-autonomous metabolic regulators and potential mediators of yogurt's health effects., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: The adoption of health technologies is key to empower research participants and collect quality data. However, the acceptance of health technologies is usually evaluated in patients or healthcare practitioners, but not in clinical research participants., Methods: A 27-item online questionnaire was provided to the 11,695 members of a nutrition clinical research participant database from the Nantes area (France), to assess (1) participants' social and demography parameters, (2) equipment and usage of health apps and devices, (3) expectations in research setting and (4) opinion about the future of clinical research. Each item was described using frequency and percentage overall and by age classes. A global proportion comparison was performed using chi-square or Fisher-exact tests., Results: A total of 1529 respondents (81.0% women, 19.0% men) completed the survey. Main uses of health apps included physical activity tracking (54.7%, age-related group difference, p < 0.001) and food quality assessment (45.7%, unrelated to age groups). Overall, 20.4% of respondents declared owning a connected wristband or watch. Most participants (93.8%) expected the use of connected devices in research. However, protection of personal data (37.5%), reliability (35.5%) and skilled use of devices (28.5%) were perceived as the main barriers. Most participants (93.3%) would agree to track their food intake using a mobile app, and 80.5% would complete it for at least a week while taking part in a clinical study. Only 13.2% would devote more than 10 min per meal to such record. A majority (60.4%) of respondents would accept to share their social media posts in an anonymous way and most (82.2%) of them would accept to interact with a chatbot for research purposes., Conclusions: Our cross-sectional study suggests that clinical study participants are enthusiastic about all forms of digital health technologies and participant-centered studies but remain concerned about the use of personal data. Repeated assessments are suggested to evaluate the research participant's interest in technologies following the increase in use and demand for innovative health services during the pandemic of COVID-19., Competing Interests: FS and LQ are the employees of Danone Nutricia Research. MK was affiliated to Danone Nutricia Research during the survey design and during data collection as an intern from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Poitiers. GF received consultation fees from Danone Nutricia Research. Authors affiliated to Danone Nutricia Research were involved in study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article, and the decision to submit it for publication. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Schäfer, Quinquis, Klein, Escutnaire, Chavanel, Chevallier and Fagherazzi.)