Diet and Stool Metabolites in Fecal Incontinence

University of Pennsylvania28 enrolled

Overview

Fecal Incontinence (FI) is a debilitating and common condition with a prevalence ranging from 7-15% in community dwelling women. FI has an immense impact on quality of life and is associated with increased care giver burden, increased rates of institutionalization, and significant cost burden in older women. Traditionally believed to be primarily caused by child birth injury, recent studies show that the typical age of onset of FI is age 40 which is remote from child birth. Treatment options for FI are limited because the mechanism underlying FI in older women are poorly understood. The overriding goal of this project is to investigate the relationship between diet, stool metabolites and fecal incontinence.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Fecal Incontinence

Interventions

No InterventionOTHER

No intervention

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALE

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age greater than 18, * parous women with fecal incontinence (defined as any uncontrolled loss of liquid or solid fecal material that occurs at least monthly over the last 3 months that is bothersome enough to desire treatment), * current negative colon cancer screening Exclusion Criteria: * Current bloody diarrhea, * current or past diagnosis of colorectal or anal malignancy, * diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, * recent antibiotic treatment, * history of immune deficiency diseases, * history of recent treatment with immune suppressant medications.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Stool butyrate levels

Time frame: within 1 week of collection

Pattern of dietary intake by indicator

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary Outcomes

Stool levels of global metabolites