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Efficacy and Safety of Probiotics in Geriatric Patients with Constipation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background

Probiotics may be an effective alternative to traditional drug therapy for constipation in the elderly.

Objective

To assess the efficacy and safety of probiotics in managing constipation among the elderly.

Methods

Eight databases were queried for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating probiotics’ efficacy in addressing constipation among the elderly until January 2023. The meta-analysis was conducted employing R software version 4.2.2. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was utilized to evaluate the risk of bias, and the GRADE approach was employed to assess the credibility of the evidence concerning the efficacy of probiotics in treating constipation in older individuals.

Results

A total of six RCTs involving 444 patients were included. Two studies were rated as low risk of bias. The meta-analysis findings revealed that probiotics, when compared to a placebo, led to an increase in stool frequency (MD = 1.02,95% CI [0.21, 2.07], p<0.05, very low quality), the probiotic group exhibited a notable impact on ameliorating symptoms associated with constipation (OR = 11.28, 95%CI [7.21, 17.64], p < 0.05, very low quality), no significant disparities were observed in terms of efforts to evacuate, manual maneuvers, and the incidence of adverse events (p>0.05).

Conclusion

The available evidence indicates a degree of uncertainty, ranging from low-to-very low, suggesting the efficacy of probiotics in augmenting bowel frequency and ameliorating constipation-related symptoms among elderly patients with constipation. Nevertheless, given the quality of the studies included, it is advisable to conduct further well-designed investigations with substantial sample sizes to substantiate the findings of this study.

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Funding

Funding: Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province (grant number 18JR3RA062)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Technology Assessment Center/Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

    X. Deng, L. Zhou, X. Li, M. Xu, L. Hou & X. Hui

  2. Evidence Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

    X. Deng, L. Zhou, X. Li, M. Xu, L. Hou & X. Hui

  3. Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    X. Deng, L. Zhou, X. Li, M. Xu, L. Hou & X. Hui

  4. School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

    X. Shang

  5. Gansu Provincial Cancer Hospital, 2 Xiaoxihu East Street, Qilihe District, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    K. Guo

  6. Gansu Provincial Cancer Hospital, Lanzhou, China

    Shuangping Li

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  1. X. Deng
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  3. L. Zhou
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  9. Shuangping Li
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Correspondence to Shuangping Li.

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Ethical standard: Based on prior research; no human or animal studies included.

Conflict of interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Xinxin Deng and Xue Shang are co-first authors.

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Deng, X., Shang, X., Zhou, L. et al. Efficacy and Safety of Probiotics in Geriatric Patients with Constipation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Nutr Health Aging 27, 1140–1146 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-023-2028-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-023-2028-4

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