[Efficacies of lactulose plus live combined Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium capsules in the treatment of functional constipation: a multicenter, randomized, double blind, controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacies of live combined Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) capsules plus lactulose in the treatment of functional constipation. METHODS: A total of 216 patients fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of functional constipation (slow transit pattern) were randomly enrolled from 9 participating hospitals and allocated into treatment group and control group. The patients of treatment group received lactulose plus live combined B. subtilis and E. faecium capsules for 14 days and only took the latter during the following 14 days. The patients of control group received lactulose plus placebo for 2 weeks and then only took placebo continually for the following 2 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 216 patients were analyzed (treatment group n = 104, control group n = 112). The effective rates of 7-day treatment were 88.46% (n = 92) and 84.82% (n = 95) for treatment and control groups respectively. And those of 28-day treatment were 87.50% (n = 91) and 81.25% (n = 91)respectively. And the inter-group differences were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Fecal form, frequency, difficulty, urgency, distension, abdominal pain and expelling rates of barium enema were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Comparing the effective rates of 28-day with that of 14-day, differences were not statistically significant in A group (S = 0.5, P = 0.4795), but in B group the effective rates of 28-day were lower than that of 14-day statistically(S = 11, P = 0.0009). CONCLUSION: The regiment of live combined B. subtilis and E. faecium capsules plus lactulose offers better efficacies in the treatment of functional constipation.

[A case-control study on the risk factors of benign prostatic hyperplasia in the suburb of Shenyang].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between various risk factors and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: A population based case-control study was conducted, including 100 BPH patients over 60 years old living in suburb of Shenyang as study group, and 100 elderly men with non-BPH (excluding prostatic cancer and prostatitis) as control group. Chi(2) test and non-conditional logistic regression were used for monovariate analysis and multivariate analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Data from monovariate analysis showed that BPH incidence was significantly related to body weight index, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, meal intake at the beginning of 1980's, hypertention and prostatitis, respectively. While multivariate non-conditional logistic analysis showed that BPH was related to five factors: prostatitis (OR = 5.577, 95% CI: 2.147 - 14.482), monthly intake of meats at the beginning of 1980's (OR = 4.930, 95% CI: 2.404 - 10.111), diastolic blood pressure (OR = 1.050, 95% CI: 1.017 - 1.083), cigarette smoking (OR = 0.660, 95% CI: 0.500 - 0.872) and alcohol consumption (OR = 0.650, 95% CI: 0.480 - 0.881). CONCLUSION: Prostatitis, monthly excessive intake of meats at the beginning of 1980's and high diastolic blood pressure were possible risk factors for BPH, while heavy cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption were possible protective factors for BPH.