Comprehensive microbial and clinical profiling of functional constipation: A stratified comparative study of age and constipation subtype

Table 1 General clinical characteristics and gastrointestinal function test results in patients with functional constipation, mean ± SD/n (%)

Characteristic		FC total (n = 92)	Age groups
			Y (n = 31)	M (n = 35)	O (n = 26)	P value
Clinical characteristics	Sex (male)	24 (26.09)	5 (15.6)	7 (20.6)	12 (46.2)	0.02
	BMI (kg/m2)	22.20 ± 3.41	21.18 ± 4.15	22.16 ± 2.75	23.46 ± 2.97	0.04
	Constipation duration (months), median IQR	96 (36, 216)	120 (24, 216)	120 (48, 256)	660 (36, 120)	0.44
	PAC-QOL score	76.27 ± 19.66	79.06 ± 18.18	73.4 ± 20.78	76.8 ± 20.40	0.50
	KESS score, median IQR	19.37 ± 5.17	21.00 (14.00, 25.00)	19.00 (16.00, 22.00)	19.50 (14.00, 22.50)	0.57
Bowel movement frequency	1-2 times every 1-2 days	38 (41.30)	6 (19.35)	17 (48.57)	15 (57.69)	0.05
	Less than 2 times per week	31 (33.70)	16 (51.61)	11 (31.43)	4 (15.38)
	Less than once per week	20 (21.74)	7 (22.58)	7 (20)	6 (23.08)
	Less than once per fortnight	3 (3.26)	2 (6.45)	0 (0)	1 (3.85)
Psychological evaluation	SAS	45.95 ± 10.51	47.12 ± 10.54	43.63 ± 8.88	47.69 ± 12.38	0.65
	SDS	51.39 ± 13.56	53.13 ± 14.43	50.06 ± 13.42	51.09 ± 13.26	0.42
Clinical subtype	NTC	6 (6.52)	2 (6.45)	2 (5.71)	2 (7.69)	0.81
	STC	19 (20.65)	8 (25.81)	7 (20)	4 (15.38)
	DD	22 (23.91)	6 (19.35)	10 (28.57)	6 (23.08)
	MC	45 (48.91)	15 (48.39)	16 (45.71)	14 (53.85)
GITT	48-hour colonic transit rate (%), median IQR	50.00 (50.00, 80.00)	10.00 (0, 90.00)	60.00 (0, 90.00)	32.50 (0, 95.00)	0.74
	Proximal colonic marker retention (%), median IQR	90.00 (60.00, 110.00)	20.00 (0, 60.00)	5.00 (0, 25.00)	7.50 (0, 25.00)	0.27
	Distal colonic marker retention (%), median IQR	170.00 (140.00, 220.00)	25.00 (10.00, 55.00)	20.00 (5.00, 60.00)	20.00 (0, 65.00)	0.99
ARM	MARP (mmHg)	89.52 ± 25.32	98.81 ± 22.86	92.63 ± 21.95	74.27 ± 26.73	0.01
	MERP (mmHg)	79.77 ± 25.59	86.78 ± 21.61	83.92 ± 26.56	65.79 ± 24.54	0.01
	HPZ length (cm)	3.64 ± 0.72	3.63 ± 0.73	3.67 ± 0.71	3.63 ± 0.76	0.97
	MSP (mmHg)	219.61 ± 66.81	232.90 ± 78.51	230.66 ± 57.42	188.87 ± 56.34	0.02
	Squeeze duration (second), median IQR	11.89 ± 5.62	16.10 (8.40, 19.40)	11.50 (7.30, 15.70)	10.80 (4.53, 14.40)	0.04
	RAP (mmHg), median IQR	76.16 ± 30.42	78.20 (66.00, 91.80)	74.30 (57.40, 100.20)	71.35 (60.40, 89.75)	0.50
	ARR, median IQR	2.00 (-14.00, 22.00)	9.00 (-4.00, 13.00)	3.00 (-13.00, 22.00)	-10.50 (-26.75, 22.50)	0.14
	Intrarectal pressure during evacuation (mmHg), median IQR	36.60 (21.60, 46.70)	31.50 (19.50, 40.20)	28.00 (18.70, 51.80)	40.90 (28.15, 50.90)	0.32
	RAPD (mmHg), median IQR	-38.50 (-58.90, -18.40)	-46.40 (-67.50, -28.30)	-36.50 (-70.60, -22.10)	-22.90 (-55.85, -12.03)	0.05
Rectal sensory thresholds	FST (cm3), median IQR	50 (40.00, 80.00)	50 (40.00, 70.00)	50 (40.00, 80.00)	60.00 (40.00, 80.00)	0.78
	DDT (cm3), median IQR	90 (60.00, 110.00)	90.00 (60.00, 100.00)	80.00 (50.00, 100.00)	90.00 (70.00, 130.00)	0.06
	MDT (cm3)	179.39 ± 55.46	171.77 ± 47.89	175.42 ± 59.96	195.00 ± 58.09	0.27

Y: Young; M: Middle-aged; O: Older; FC: Functional constipation; BMI: Body mass index; KESS: Knowles Eccersley Scott symptom; PAC-QOL: Patient assessment of constipation quality of life; IQR: Interquartile range; SAS: Self-rating anxiety scale; SDS: Self-rating depression scale; NTC: Normal-transit constipation; STC: Slow-transit constipation; DD: Defecatory disorder; MC: Mixed constipation; GITT: Gastrointestinal transit time; ARM: Anorectal manometry; MARP: Maximum anal resting pressure; MERP: Mean anal resting pressure; HPZ: Anal high pressure zone; MSP: Maximum anal squeeze pressure; RAP: Residual anal pressure; ARR: Anal relaxation rate; RAPD: Rectoanal pressure difference; FST: First sensation; DDT: Desire to defecate; MDT: Maximum discomfort.