Clinical effectiveness of adding probiotics to a low FODMAP diet: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study

Table 2 Patients’ demographic characteristics, comorbidities and treatments they received

	Total, n = 85	Group 1, n = 43	Group 2, n = 42	P value
Age (mean ± SD)	43.6 ± 13.0	43.6 ± 12.2	43.6 ± 14.0	0.888
Gender, n (%)
Female	62 (72.9)	33 (76.7)	29 (69.0)	0.425
Male	23 (27.1)	10 (23.3)	13 (31.0)
Employment status, n (%)
No	49 (57.6)	25 (58.1)	24 (57.1)	0.926
Yes	36 (42.4)	18 (41.9)	18 (42.9)
Comorbid diseases
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, n (%)
No	67 (78.8)	36 (83.7)	31 (73.8)	0.263
Yes	18 (21.2)	7 (16.3)	11 (26.2)
Allergic asthma, n (%)
No	77 (90.6)	36 (83.7)	41 (97.6)	0.058
Yes	8 (9.4)	7 (16.3)	1 (2.4)
Hypertension, n (%)
No	72 (84.7)	38 (88.4)	34 (81.0)	0.342
Yes	13 (15.3)	5 (11.6)	8 (19.0)
Gastritis, n (%)
No	77 (90.6)	37 (86.0)	40 (95.2)	0.265
Yes	8 (9.4)	6 (14.0)	2 (4.8)
Hyperlipidemia, n (%)
No	78 (91.8)	40 (93.0)	38 (90.5)	0.713
Yes	7 (8.2)	3 (7.0)	4 (9.5)
Depression, n (%)
No	80 (94.1)	41 (95.3)	39 (92.9)	0.676
Yes	5 (5.9)	2 (4.7)	3 (7.1)
Comorbidity, n (%)
No	26 (30.6)	12 (27.9)	14 (33.3)	0.587
Yes	59 (69.4)	31 (72.1)	28 (66.7)
Abdominal surgery, n (%)
No	50 (58.8)	24 (55.8)	26 (61.9)	0.568
Yes	35 (41.2)	19 (44.2)	16 (38.1)
Drug use
Systematic drug use, n (%)
No	28 (32.9)	14 (32.6)	14 (33.3)	0.939
Yes	57 (67.1)	29 (67.4)	28 (66.7)
PPI use, n (%)
No	67 (78.8)	32 (74.4)	35 (83.3)	0.315
Yes	18 (21.2)	11 (25.6)	7 (16.7)
Psychiatric drug use, n (%)
No	71 (83.5)	34 (79.1)	37 (88.1)	0.262
Yes	14 (16.5)	9 (20.9)	5 (11.9)
CCB use, n (%)
No	69 (81.2)	36 (83.7)	33 (78.6)	0.544
Yes	16 (18.8)	7 (16.3)	9 (21.4)
Beta-blocker use, n (%)
No	75 (88.2)	38 (88.4)	37 (88.1)	> 0.999
Yes	10 (11.8)	5 (11.6)	5 (11.9)

Group 1: Low fermentable oligo, di- and monosaccharides and polyol diet + probiotic; Group 2: Low fermentable oligo, di- and monosaccharides and polyol diet + placebo. PPI: Proton pump inhibitor; CCB: Calcium canal blocker; SD: Standard deviation.