Researchers find strong association between smoking and SIBO: Study

Canada: A recent study has shown a strong association between smoking and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Other factors that were also strongly associated with SIBO included bloating, abdominal pain, and anemia. The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Medical Research.

SIBO occurs due to overabundance of colonic bacteria (>105 colony-forming units/mL) in the small intestine leading to malabsorption and inflammation. Breath tests (BT), either glucose breath test or lactulose breath test is the primary mode for SIBO diagnosis. 

Jeremy Liu Chen Kiow, Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada, and colleagues aimed to study the characteristics of patients undergoing a BT for SIBO and to identify factors associated with a positive BT.

For the purpose, the researchers conducted retrospective study from 2012 to 2016 at the neurogastroenterology unit of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM). It included a total of 136 patients who completed a BT (lactulose and/or glucose); SIBO was detected in 33.8% (n = 46). The researchers analyzed clinical factors and demographics to identify predictors of positive BT.