Cause of common chronic diarrhoea revealed

[Posted: Tue 03/11/2009 by Olivia Fens]

A common type of chronic diarrhoea may be caused by a hormone deficiency, a new study indicates.

According to UK researchers, the results of the study could lead to the development of more effective tests and treatments to help improve the lives of many people suffering with chronic diarrhoea.

Chronic bile acid diarrhoea affects an estimated one in 100 people. Those affected can have up to ten watery bowel movements a day, often for months at a time.

However, researchers from Imperial College London, King’s College London and the University of Edinburgh, have found that bile acid diarrhoea may be caused by a deficiency in a hormone called FGF19, which normally switches off bile acid production.

The researchers said that new hormone-based treatments could be developed in the future to treat the condition and doctors could potentially test people’s hormone levels to diagnose it.

“Bile acid diarrhoea is a common condition yet until now we did not understand exactly what caused it,” the researchers said.

“People with bile acid diarrhoea need to use the toilet urgently many times during the day and night. This can have a big impact on their lives, at home, at work and while they are travelling, as they always need to be near a toilet.

“If they are diagnosed, we have treatments that can remove bile acid from the colon, alleviate the symptoms and improve their quality of life. However, the current test used to diagnose the condition is not available in many countries and many people are not diagnosed.

“Our new findings mean that in the future doctors may be able to diagnose the condition by doing a quick and simple blood test.”

The study was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.