Lactose Intolerance and Symptom Pattern of Lactose Intolerance among Healthy Volunteers

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Human Physiology
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Lactose intolerance (LI) is a common gastrointestinal condition.
• Understanding LI prevalence and symptoms is crucial for public health.
• Previous studies on LI in Bangladesh are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of lactose intolerance (LI) in healthy adults.
• To identify symptoms associated with LI after oral lactose challenge.
• To investigate lactose malabsorption (LM) in a Bangladeshi population.

Main Methods:

• 166 healthy volunteers underwent an oral lactose tolerance test.
• Blood glucose levels were measured at 0 and 30 minutes post-lactose intake.
• Symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, borborygmi, and flatulence were recorded for 24 hours.

Main Results:

• Lactose intolerance was identified in 85.54% of participants (142 out of 166).
• The most frequent symptoms reported were diarrhea (58.4%) and borborygmi (57.04%).
• Other reported symptoms included abdominal pain (24.65%) and flatulence (19.0%).

Conclusions:

• Lactose intolerance is highly prevalent among healthy adults in Bangladesh.
• Diarrhea and borborygmi are the predominant symptoms associated with LI in this population.
• Findings highlight the need for awareness and potential dietary management strategies for LI.