Middle-aged and older adults with frailty are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome than those without frailty, shows a large population-based study.

The findings, based on data from more than 176,000 UK Biobank patients, also suggest that pre-frailty in these age groups may be linked to an elevated risk of developing the chronic condition.

Overall, the Chinese-led researchers found an 80% and 21% increased likelihood of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in over-60s with frailty and pre-frailty, respectively.

For adults aged below 60, frailty and pre-frailty were associated with a respective 69% and 24% increased risk of IBS.