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Efficacy and Tolerance of Lactitol Supplementation for Adult Constipation: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis by Larry Miller; Julia Tennila; Arthur C Ouwehand is a Medicine article available to read on EtoBox.

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## Background Constipation is a common complaint in adults. Lactitol is an osmotic disaccharide laxative that increases fecal volume and stimulates peristalsis. In this paper, we present the first meta-analysis on the efficacy and tolerance of lactitol for adult constipation. ## Methods We searched MEDLINE^®^ and Embase, with no date or language restrictions, for studies of lactitol supplementation on adult constipation. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed on pre- to posttreatment changes in stool frequency and consistency with lactitol among all studies, as well as a comparison of efficacy and tolerance outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of lactitol versus lactulose. ## Results A total of eleven studies representing 663 distinct patients were included in the final analysis, including five single-arm studies, four RCTs comparing lactitol with lactulose, one RCT comparing lactitol with placebo, and one nonrandomized controlled trial comparing lactitol with stimulant laxatives. Weekly stool frequency was significantly increased with lactitol compared with baseline (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 1.56, __P__<0.001). Stool consistency also improved over the s

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Author

Larry Miller; Julia Tennila; Arthur C Ouwehand

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Published

2014

Language

EN

Field

Medicine (Health Sciences)