Meta‐analysis: the effect of supplementation with probiotics on eradication rates and adverse events during Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy

Study answer

What this study found

Overall, adding probiotics improved Helicobacter pylori eradication and reduced treatment-related adverse events. Intention-to-treat eradication was higher with probiotics than without them: 83.6% (463 of 554) versus 74.8% (389 of 520), OR 1.84 (95% CI 1.34-2.54); per-protocol eradication was also higher, OR 1.82 (95% CI 1.30-2.56). Total side effects were lower with probiotics: 24.7% versus 38.5%, OR 0.44 (95% CI 0.30-0.66), and diarrhea was reduced from 16.1% to 6.0%, OR 0.34 (95% CI 0.22-0.52). Taste disturbance, nausea, and epigastric pain were also modestly reduced, supporting…

Study & population

Systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials in people with Helicobacter pylori infection receiving eradication therapy.

Intervention

Probiotic supplementation was added to standard anti-Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy, with regimens including Bacillus clausii, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus LB, and AB-yogurt containing live organisms.

Key limitation

The evidence pooled multiple probiotic strains, doses, and treatment durations, which increases clinical heterogeneity and limits strain-specific conclusions.

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Original abstract