Article type
Abstract
Background: Probiotics may be an effective alternative to traditional drug therapy for constipation in the elderly patients.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of probiotics in the treatment of elderly patients with constipation.
Methods: We systematically searched eight databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of probiotics in the treatment of constipation among elderly patients from database inception until March 2023. The meta-analysis was conducted employing R 4.2.2. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was utilized to evaluate the risk of bias, and the credibility of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.
Results: A total of six RCTs involving 444 patients were included. Two studies were rated as low risk of bias and four were rated as unclear bias risk. The results 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], 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], very low quality), no significant disparities were observed in terms of efforts to evacuate, manual maneuvers, and the incidence of adverse events.
Conclusion: The current evidence, which ranges from low-to-very low, indicates a discernible impact of probiotics on enhancing stool frequency and alleviating associated symptoms among elderly patients with constipation. Nonetheless, considering the quality of the included studies, we advocate for the pursuit of more rigorously designed investigations with ample sample sizes to foster a more profound comprehension of this realm.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of probiotics in the treatment of elderly patients with constipation.
Methods: We systematically searched eight databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of probiotics in the treatment of constipation among elderly patients from database inception until March 2023. The meta-analysis was conducted employing R 4.2.2. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was utilized to evaluate the risk of bias, and the credibility of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.
Results: A total of six RCTs involving 444 patients were included. Two studies were rated as low risk of bias and four were rated as unclear bias risk. The results 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], 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], very low quality), no significant disparities were observed in terms of efforts to evacuate, manual maneuvers, and the incidence of adverse events.
Conclusion: The current evidence, which ranges from low-to-very low, indicates a discernible impact of probiotics on enhancing stool frequency and alleviating associated symptoms among elderly patients with constipation. Nonetheless, considering the quality of the included studies, we advocate for the pursuit of more rigorously designed investigations with ample sample sizes to foster a more profound comprehension of this realm.