Relationship between use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and irritable bowel syndrome: A population-based cohort study

AIM: To investigate the relationship between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use and the subsequent development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: This retrospective, observational, population-based cohort study collected data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 19653 patients newly using SSRIs and 78612 patients not using SSRIs, matched by age and sex at a ratio of 1:4, were enrolled in the study from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010. The patients were followed until IBS diagnosis, withdrawal from the National Health Insurance system, or the end of 2011. We analyzed the effects of SSRIs on the risk of subsequent IBS using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: A total of 236 patients in the SSRI cohort (incidence, 2.17/1000 person-years) and 478 patients in the comparison cohort (incidence, 1.04/1000 person-years) received a new diagnosis of IBS. The mean follow-up period from SSRI exposure to IBS diagnosis was 2.05 years. The incidence of IBS increased with advancing age. Patients with anxiety disorders had a significantly increased adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of IBS (aHR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.11-1.59, P = 0.002). After adjusting for sex, age, urbanization, family income, area of residence, occupation, the use of anti-psychotics and other comorbidities, the overall aHR in the SSRI cohort compared with that in the comparison cohort was 1.74 (95%CI: 1.44-2.10; P < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of IBS was higher in the SSRI cohort than in the non-SSRI cohort (log-rank test, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: SSRI users show an increased risk of subsequent diagnosis of IBS in Taiwan.