[Clinical-epidemiological study of the efficacy of thermal therapy in gastroenterologic diseases]. / Indagine clinico-epidemiologica sulla efficacia della terapia termale nella patologia gastroenterologica.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of drinking mineral water, its influence on gastrointestinal drug consumption as well as on working days missed in patients with dyspeptic syndrome or chronic constipation due to irritable bowel syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 1500 physicians and 965 forms were available concerning patients who had mineral water treatment at Montecatini. RESULTS: Mineral water therapy determined a striking short- and medium-term improvement on clinical symptoms. Furthermore, this treatment reduced gastrointestinal drug consumption per year, as well as the number of working days missed. CONCLUSIONS: This epidemiological study confirms the utility of drinking mineral water in the treatment of some gastrointestinal syndromes either in the short and in the medium run.