Correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and adherence to traditional Persian medicine dietary recommendations in patients with vitiligo; a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Vitiligo is a chronic disease associated with the depigmentation of regions of the skin secondary to structural or functional damage to melanocytes. This damage results from interactions between the immune system and oxidative stress. In traditional Persian medicine (TPM), the concept of ‘Barass’ or ‘Pissi’ encompasses a group of skin diseases including vitiligo, for which there has been an emphasis on the preventive and therapeutic role of dietary modifications. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 200 vitiligo patients and 200 controls were enrolled with a random sampling method. The participants included patients with vitiligo referred to the Dermatology Clinic of Shahid Faghihi Hospital (Shiraz, Iran), with the control group being comprised individuals who referred to this clinic for cosmetic purposes. Questionnaires comparing the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms and the rate of adherence to TPM dietary recommendations were filled by all participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0. Results The case group was significantly less adherent to TPM recommendations than the control group (8.25 ± 27.16 vs. 31.8 ± 10.47; p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between both groups in the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) scores (14.09 ± 14.84 vs. 12.62 ± 11.71; p = 0.105). In the case group, the level of adherence to the recommendations of TPM was significantly lower among patients with lower education levels (R=−0.194; p=0.017). Furthermore, there was a significant negative relationship between the length of the disease and adherence to TPM dietary recommendations (R=−0.247; p=0.002). Conclusions In this study, the level of adherence to TPM recommendations was significantly lower among patients with vitiligo than the control group. Hence, further studies are suggested to identify the probable role of dietary habits in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.