The Significance of Lactose Malabsorption in the Irritable Colon Syndrome

Abstract

Gudmand-Höyer, E., Riis, P. & Wulff, H. R. 1973. The Significance of Lactose Malabsorption in the Irritable Colon Syndrome. Scand. J. Gastroent. 8, 273-278.

The frequency of lactose malabsorption was investigated among patients in a medical department who fulfilled certain predetermined diagnostic criteria of irritable colon syndrome. Investigation could be carried out in 98 out of 114 such patients and 20 of these fulfilled the criteria for lactose malabsorption. The frequency of lactose malabsorption among the patients suffering from irritable colon who were examined was thus 20 % (95 % confidence limits 13-30 %). The exact prevalence of lactose malabsorption in the normal population is unknown but indirect investigations suggest that it is much lower. It may therefore be presumed that symptoms in a number of patients with irritable colon syndrome are caused by an underlying lactose malabsorption. It is recommended that a lactose tolerance test is done before the exclusion diagnosis ‘irritable colon’ is made. Statements concerning milk intolerance were not found to have any diagnostic value. The 20 patients were treated with a low-lactose diet, and 13 of them became symptom-free. Since placebo effect cannot be excluded, the value of low lactose diet can, however, only be assessed via controlled clinical trial.

Key-words::

• Irritable colon
• lactase deficiency
• malabsorption