tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther
. 2023 Mar 7.
doi: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2189100. Online ahead of print.
Clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Jheng-Yan Wu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Po-Yu Huang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ting-Hui Liu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Chia-Yin Kuo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ya-Wen Tsai[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hung-Jen Tang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Chih-Cheng Lai[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for studies from their inception to February 8, 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the clinical efficacy of probiotics with usual care or standard care for patients with COVID-19 were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Random-effects model using Mantel-Haenszel and inverse variance methods were performed to analyze the data.
Results: Eight RCTs with 900 patients were included. The study group receiving probiotics had a non-significantly lower rate of mortality than the control group had, but this difference was not significant (risk ratio [RR], 0.51; 95% CI, 0.22 to 1.16). However, the study group had significantly lower rates of dyspnea (RR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.60), fever (RR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.85) and headache (RR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.65). Higher complete remission of COVID-19-associated symptoms was observed in the study group than the control group (RR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.40-2.55).
Conclusions: Although probiotics use did not improve clinical outcomes or reduce inflammatory markers, it may relieve COVID-19-associated symptoms.
Keywords: COVID-19; meta-analysis; mortality; probiotics; randomized controlled trial; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
. 2023 Mar 7.
doi: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2189100. Online ahead of print.
Clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Jheng-Yan Wu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Po-Yu Huang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ting-Hui Liu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Chia-Yin Kuo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ya-Wen Tsai[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hung-Jen Tang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Chih-Cheng Lai[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36881729
- DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2189100
Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for studies from their inception to February 8, 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the clinical efficacy of probiotics with usual care or standard care for patients with COVID-19 were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Random-effects model using Mantel-Haenszel and inverse variance methods were performed to analyze the data.
Results: Eight RCTs with 900 patients were included. The study group receiving probiotics had a non-significantly lower rate of mortality than the control group had, but this difference was not significant (risk ratio [RR], 0.51; 95% CI, 0.22 to 1.16). However, the study group had significantly lower rates of dyspnea (RR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.60), fever (RR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.85) and headache (RR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.65). Higher complete remission of COVID-19-associated symptoms was observed in the study group than the control group (RR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.40-2.55).
Conclusions: Although probiotics use did not improve clinical outcomes or reduce inflammatory markers, it may relieve COVID-19-associated symptoms.
Keywords: COVID-19; meta-analysis; mortality; probiotics; randomized controlled trial; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.