The prevalence and burden of Rome IV bowel disorders of gut brain interaction in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Rome IV bowel disorders of gut brain interaction (DGBI) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are highly prevalent entities with overlapping pathophysiology and risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and burden of Rome IV irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients with NAFLD. Patients diagnosed with NAFLD were recruited from a specialist liver clinic. All participants completed assessments to determine liver fibrosis severity, including liver stiffness measurement (LSM), completed the Rome IV diagnostic questionnaire for bowel disorders of gut brain interaction, the IBS symptom severity score (IBS-SSS), and the EQ-5D-5L to measure of quality-of-life (QoL). 142 patients with NAFLD (71 (50%) female, mean age 53.5 (SD ± 14.9), BMI 35.2 (SD ± 8.1) kg/M2) were recruited. 79 (55.6%) patients met criteria for a Rome IV bowel DGBI, including 50 patients (35.2%) who met the criteria for IBS (mean IBS-SSS 277.2 (SD ± 131.5)). There was no difference in liver fibrosis scores between those with and without Rome IV IBS (FIB-4 scores p = 0.14, LSM p = 0.68). Patients with NAFLD and Rome IV IBS had significantly worse QoL scores (EQ-VAS p = 0.005 and EQ-5D-5L index p = 0.0007), impairment of usual activities of daily living (p = 0.012) and were more likely to report anxiety or depression (p = 0.038). Rome IV bowel DGBI such as IBS are highly prevalent in patients with NAFLD attending liver clinics and are associated with impaired QoL and psychosocial distress.