Gender differences in chronic constipation on anorectal motility

Background The epidemiology of chronic constipation (CC) skews toward female predominance, yet men make up an important component of those suffering from CC. We sought to determine whether there are sex‐specific differences in symptoms and physiologic parameters on anorectal manometry (ARM). Methods We performed a case–control analysis of sequential men and age‐matched women (2:1 ratio) presenting for ARM as part of the evaluation of CC. We collected physiologic parameters derived from 3D high‐resolution ARM in addition to the ROME III constipation module and the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory 20 (PFDI‐20) questionnaires. We analyzed univariate, sex‐specific differences in ARM physiologic parameters and PFDI‐20 parameters and adjusted for putative confounders using multivariate logistic regression. Key Results Our study enrolled 80 men and 165 age‐matched women. Men had a higher median sphincter resting pressure (81.2 vs 75.2 mm Hg, P=.01) and mean squeeze pressure (257.0 vs 170.5 mm Hg, P