Researchers at the Federal University of Ceara in Brazil have revealed that people suffering from inflammatory bowl disease may be at a higher risk of developing neurological conditions as well. Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD comprises of conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
The study involved 103 people suffering from IBD and 51 people suffering from other digestive ailments like gastritis and heartburn. The former group had Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis as well. All participants were given a neurological evaluation by researchers in a routine manner.
Researchers found that people suffering from IBD were more likely to suffer from a variety of nervous disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome besides other neurological conditions.
"Those with bowel disease were also four times more likely to develop symptoms in the spectrum of a nerve disease called small fiber neuropathy, which causes pain and lack of feeling in the feet," said lead author Dr. Francisco De Assis Gondim of the Federal University of Ceara in Brazil.
He added that the findings were more common in women than men. The link between neurological problems and bowel disease is not clear and needs to be investigated further, Gondim observed. However he added that in most patients there was no clear link indicating there may be "an undiagnosed nutritional deficiency or ongoing immune-mediated nerve damage."
The details of the study are to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting later this week.
The American Academy of Family Physicians says more than 600,000 Americans suffer from IBD, which manifests as diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal cramps and bleeding from the intestine.
