Ramadhan Ali A, Mustafa Aveen, Issa Ramadhan, Bapeer Hassan
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Duhok, Duhok, IRQ.
College of Medicine, University of Duhok, Duhok, IRQ.
Cureus. 2024 Aug 4;16(8):e66116. doi: 10.7759/cureus.66116. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Chronic constipation is a common gastrointestinal complaint characterized by infrequent or difficult bowel movements, significantly affecting patients' quality of life. Laboratory markers offer potential diagnostic value in identifying physiological changes associated with chronic constipation, yet their effectiveness remains underexplored.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of various laboratory tests in identifying the underlying causes of chronic constipation among adults.
A cross-sectional study was conducted at Kurdistan Private Hospital and Jeen Clinics in Duhok, Kurdistan, Iraq, from December 2022 to May 2024. A total of 132 patients meeting the Rome IV criteria for chronic constipation were included. Data collection involved demographic information, lifestyle factors, and laboratory tests, including complete blood count (CBC), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), serum calcium, serum potassium, serum glucose, serum creatinine, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and vitamin D levels.
The study population consisted of 56 males (42.4%) and 76 females (57.6%) with a mean age of 46.5 years (SD=17 years) and a range of 18-81 years. Regular exercise was performed by only 56 (42.4%) patients, 85 (64.4%) patients were drinking less than 2 liters of water per day, and 108 (81.8%) were overweight or obese. Of the study population, hypothyroidism was detected in 27 (20.4%), hyperparathyroidism in 27 (20.4%), anemia in 58 (44%), leukocytosis in 24 (18.2%), renal impairment in 48 (36.4%), hypokalemia in four (3%), hyperkalemia in 12 (9.1%), hypocalcemia in 10 (7.6%), hypercalcemia in 12 (9.1%), impaired fasting glucose in 46 (34.8%), hyperglycemia in 21 (15.9%), and vitamin D deficiency in 80 (60.6%). Of the study population, 40 (30%) patients had normal laboratory investigations panel.
In chronic constipation, laboratory tests have high diagnostic yield in adults and are essential for ruling out secondary causes of chronic constipation. Unhealthy lifestyles are prevalent in patients with chronic constipation.
慢性便秘是一种常见的胃肠道疾病，其特征为排便次数少或排便困难，严重影响患者的生活质量。实验室指标在识别与慢性便秘相关的生理变化方面具有潜在的诊断价值，但其有效性仍未得到充分探索。
本研究的目的是评估各种实验室检查在识别成人慢性便秘潜在病因方面的诊断价值。
2022年12月至2024年5月在伊拉克库尔德斯坦地区杜胡克的库尔德斯坦私立医院和吉恩诊所进行了一项横断面研究。共纳入132例符合罗马IV标准的慢性便秘患者。数据收集包括人口统计学信息、生活方式因素和实验室检查，包括全血细胞计数（CBC）、促甲状腺激素（TSH）、血清钙、血清钾、血清葡萄糖、血清肌酐、甲状旁腺激素（PTH）和维生素D水平。
研究人群包括56名男性（42.4%）和76名女性（57.6%），平均年龄46.5岁（标准差=17岁），年龄范围为18 - 81岁。只有56名（42.4%）患者经常锻炼，85名（64.4%）患者每天饮水量少于2升，108名（81.8%）患者超重或肥胖。在研究人群中，检测到27例（20.4%）甲状腺功能减退，27例（20.4%）甲状旁腺功能亢进，58例（44%）贫血，24例（18.2%）白细胞增多，48例（36.4%）肾功能损害，4例（3%）低钾血症，12例（9.1%）高钾血症，10例（7.6%）低钙血症，12例（9.1%）高钙血症，46例（34.8%）空腹血糖受损，21例（15.9%）高血糖，80例（60.6%）维生素D缺乏。在研究人群中，40例（30%）患者的实验室检查结果正常。
在慢性便秘中，实验室检查在成人中具有较高的诊断率，对于排除慢性便秘的继发原因至关重要。慢性便秘患者中不健康的生活方式很普遍。
