Worried about irritable bowel syndrome? Hong Kong academics have 5 tips to reduce the risks
- Study from CUHK finds no smoking, good sleep and regular high-intensity exercise are among lifestyle choices that can prevent condition
- University analysed health information on 64,268 British adults with a mean age of 55.9; data collected by UK Biobank over more than 12 years
Hong Kong academics have discovered five life choices that can help cut the risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome with research indicating a cause-and-effect relationship between them and the chances of catching the disease.
Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) researchers found a causal connection between no smoking, a moderate alcohol intake, enough sleep, regular high-intensity exercise and a healthy diet and the risk of contracting the disease.
The CUHK team also discovered that adoption of at least three of the healthier options could lower the risk of contracting the disease by 42 per cent.
Professor Justin Wu Che-yuen, associate dean of health systems at CUHK’s faculty of medicine, said he believed the paper was the first to show the combined effect of the five choices and their relationship with the condition.
“With this study, as the syndrome is, of a certain level, hereditary, we may know some high-risk patients or those who have other functional gastrointestinal disorders, and we are able to tell them that this study has clearly shown the benefits that can be brought by lifestyle management,” he added.
“Other than medication or other treatments, lifestyle changes have a certain degree of importance.”
The results of the study were published in leading medical journal Gut last month.
