Baroreflex mechanisms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Part I. Traditional indices

• IBS is associated with lower baroreceptor sensitivity compared to healthy controls.
• IBS is associated with higher blood pressure (BP) compared to healthy controls.
• IBS chronicity is associated with lower baroreceptor sensitivity through higher BP.
• Lower baroreceptor sensitivity through lower HRV determines higher IBS severity.
• Lower baroreceptor sensitivity through higher BP determines lower IBS severity.

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to present evidence of differences in autonomic regulation of cardiovascular activity and its role in the severity of specific (disease-related) and non-specific (negative affect and chronic pain-related) symptoms in individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).MethodsSeventy-eight female patients with IBS and 27 healthy women age 18–62 years were assessed for IBS symptoms, negative affect, and baroreceptor sensitivity (BRS), blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) at rest. Direct and indirect regression effects were examined with application of the bootstrap procedure to validate findings.ResultsIBS was reliably related to lower resting BRS, higher BP, and higher negative affect compared to healthy controls. Longer disease duration (chronicity) was related to BRS decrease coupled with systolic BP increase (95% CIs = − 0.14 to − 0.01). Three autonomic mechanisms associated with BRS decrease were found to further regulate severity of IBS symptoms. Lower BRS was related to higher IBS severity in general if the effect was transferred through the decrease of low frequency power of HRV (e.g., 95% CIs = − 0.039 to − 0.001 for abdominal pain severity). However, lower BRS was related to lower IBS severity in general if the effect was transferred through diastolic BP increase (95% CIs = 0.01–0.11 for abdominal pain severity). Lower BRS was related to higher abdominal pain severity coupled with high negative affect if the effect was transferred through the decrease of higher frequency power of HRV (95% CIs = − 0.026 to − 0.003).ConclusionsThese findings indicate that different cardiovascular mechanisms are associated with IBS development and the increase and decrease of severity of IBS symptoms. Their assessment suggests ways to personalize treatment of IBS.