Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29460487›Full record

SynthesisAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics2018

Systematic review: probiotics in the management of lower gastrointestinal symptoms - an updated evidence-based international consensus.

A P S Hungin, C R Mitchell, P Whorwell, C Mulligan, O Cole, L Agréus, P Fracasso, C Lionis, J Mendive, J-M Philippart de Foy and 5 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readSystematic ReviewConsensus Statement
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07366931 (A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Trial on the Effect of Daily Supplementation With Humiome® Post LB on Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Female Athletes), which is not on this map. Cited by 76 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
12.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07366931 phase1 / phase2not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Trial on the Effect of Daily Supplementation With Humiome® Post LB on Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Female Athletes

TypeinterventionalSponsorLiverpool John Moores UniversityRan2026 to 2026Enrolled100ConditionsHealthy Adult Females, Gastrointestinal SymptomsArmsPostbiotic, Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 150 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. World journal of gastroenterology · 2022
    Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article

16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

A P S HunginNewcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7275-8927
C R MitchellOxford, UK.
P WhorwellManchester, UK.
C MulliganBrighton, UK.
O ColeOxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6033-2152
L AgréusStockholm, Sweden.
P FracassoRome, Italy.
C LionisHeraklion, Greece.
J MendiveBarcelona, Spain.
J-M Philippart de FoyBrussels, Belgium.
B SeifertPrague, Czech Republic.
K-A WensaasBergen, Norway.
C WinchesterOxford, UK.
N de WitUtrecht, The Netherlands.
European Society for Primary Care Gastroenterology
Science Oxford · GBNewcastle upon Tyne Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn 2013, a systematic review and Delphi consensus reported that specific probiotics can benefit adult patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal (GI) problems.

aimTo update the consensus with new evidence.

methodsA systematic review identified randomised, placebo-controlled trials published between January 2012 and June 2017. Evidence was graded, previously developed statements were reassessed by an 8-expert panel, and agreement was reached via Delphi consensus.

resultsA total of 70 studies were included (IBS, 34; diarrhoea associated with antibiotics, 13; diarrhoea associated with Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy, 7; other conditions, 16). Of 15 studies that examined global IBS symptoms as a primary endpoint, 8 reported significant benefits of probiotics vs placebo. Consensus statements with 100% agreement and "high" evidence level indicated that specific probiotics help reduce overall symptom burden and abdominal pain in some patients with IBS and duration/intensity of diarrhoea in patients prescribed antibiotics or H. pylori eradication therapy, and have favourable safety. Statements with 70%-100% agreement and "moderate" evidence indicated that, in some patients with IBS, specific probiotics help reduce bloating/distension and improve bowel movement frequency/consistency.

conclusionsThis updated review indicates that specific probiotics are beneficial in certain lower GI problems, although many of the new publications did not report benefits of probiotics, possibly due to inclusion of new, less efficacious preparations. Specific probiotics can relieve lower GI symptoms in IBS, prevent diarrhoea associated with antibiotics and H. pylori eradication therapy, and show favourable safety. This study will help clinicians recommend/prescribe probiotics for specific symptoms.

Indexed as

Helicobacter pyloriAnimalsDiarrheaHelicobacter InfectionsHumansIrritable Bowel SyndromeProbioticsRandomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Identifiers

PMID29460487
PMCPMC5900870
OpenAlexW2789742979

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.